Kingdom Hearts: System X
by Christine Lennoire
Summary: Sora leaves his Island once more: this time with Riku and Kairi. A new group has emerged. New enemies, new friends, and a lot of confusion. Sora will need to get smart if he wants to crack this confusing plot before it's too late and save the worlds...
1. Prologue: Years, Days, Moments

**Kingdom Hearts: System X**

By Christine Lennoiore

Beta: None (but would like one! ...hint, hint!)

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammer error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! **Lae? **_Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... _smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... **BUT SHE'S A GIRL! **_**They're working together... _We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Note from the Author: Confused? I hope so... that's kinda what I'm going for, you know with the suspense thing and all. Well, I really hope you enjoy this. Olivia and I worked really hard on the ideas for this. Please review... and flames are for roasting marshmellows. They will be used for such. But I can handle constructive criticism. Thanks, and now, on to the story!

Prologue: Years, Days, Moments

Three years... three years of growing, learning, and peace but most importantly peace. Sora watched the sun set on his perfect day with the same tinge of sadness he got each time a day would end. Lost in his thoughts, he would wonder if the next day could be just as wonderful. And for a long time: a whole three years, each day was. Even school was bearable, if you could call what Sora did 'bearing'. Of course, Sora hadn't changed... well, he hadn't changed much, that is.

Sora was taller of course. Riku didn't tower over him the same way anymore. Sora stored away his special clothes and pulled out some normal clothes. So he made due with a pair of baggy jeans and a close fitting red and white shirt with Japanese symbols and English words on it: both saying the same thing: 'You can open any door... as long as you have the key...' Kairi and Riku had chipped in and bought it for him last year for his birthday.

It's pretty obvious that he loved it. So far, it was his most treasured gift from his friends. Kairi had also grown a bit, but in other ways. Mostly, it was her figure that grew. To his embaressment, he had to admit that she had quite a nice hourglass figure now and her hair had grown out into a long pool of beautiful red locks that she wore up in a high ponytail most of the time... because she was running around with him and Riku all the time...

Riku... well, at least he didn't get any taller. His muscles were more noticable then ever. After his wounds from the final battle healed, he worked out pretty regularly. And Sora obviously went back to being jealous. But at least now he knew that he had something special that Riku could never imitate... even if it did sound really corny, he still believed it, although he kept that locked up for his own information. If anyone ever heard that...

They would die of laughter. Who would have ever guessed how close the friends would come? Even the once rather cool and distant, in a way, Riku had opened up a great deal after their last battle. Now they hardly ever left each other's sides unless pulled apart. Together they would swim and play blitzball, do homework and study, sing, dance, and laugh, and when they didn't feel like doing anything else: they would tell stories.

Kairi was always asking them to tell her about their adventures. In a way, she was jealous. She wanted to see the other worlds for herself. But she was just content staying with them and hearing their stories. By now she had heard all of them. All of them but one...

Earlier they had promised to meet on the beach. As usual, Kairi was the first to arrive. She usually took a small visit to the secret place, before going to meet up with her friends at the dock. Today was no different. Yet, it had been a while since she came in here. Every time she came it seemed to be getting smaller. At that thought, she giggled.

"Mmm. No, I'm just getting bigger." She laughed, tracing the pictures on the wall. It was her favorite pasttime of all, to come into the Secret Place and look at the pictures they had made on the wall together. But her favorite was right by that strange door. Kairi had often thought about trying to open the door but decided that she should wait and go with Sora and Riku.

Losing track of time a bit, she sat on the ground and began to trace the picture she drew of Sora. "He's changing so much. I don't think he sees it, but really, he is." She said sadly. Kairi noticed the way he looked out to the horizon every night. Often times she wanted to ask him what was wrong, but something kept it from coming out.

"What's wrong, Sora? Why won't you tell your best friends? D-don't you trust us? Don't you trust me?" She asked sadly, dropping her hand to her side. One strand of red hair fell from behind her ear and covered her face partially, hiding her in the darkness. Without warning, a familiar hand came to brush it away. Quickly she gazed at the retreating hand and gasped.

Riku was watching her with vauge interest. "I always wondered where you went. Now I know." he said, sitting down next to her. A weird look passed over his face as he looked at the drawing on the wall. "You know... I noticed it too. The changes in Sora. But it started long before now. It wasn't just when we returned to the island... and it certainly isn't you." he smiled. "If anything, you're helping. It was only a matter of time."

Momentarily, Kairi forgot to react. She sat there, staring at Riku with her mouth hanging open slightly. Aware of her sudden 'spacing out', she jumped to rather quickly, causing Riku to laugh. "I..." Kairi paused, looking at Riku. So she wasn't making it up... something was wrong with Sora. Somehow that didn't make her feel better. But what Riku said... it helped in a way. "What are you talking about!" nose in the air, she stood up and ran.

Overcome by intense laughter, Riku ran after her. "You can't hide it forever! Eventually even he will notice!" Riku shouted after her, only after noticing that she had stopped in the middle of the beach, looking towards the dock, where Sora was currently tieing down his boat. Horrified, she turned and smacked him lightly on the shoulder, blushing quite brightly.

"Notice what?" Sora asked, running over to his two friends. Both of them looked away from each other. Kairi's face was cherry-red and Riku just laughed.

So maybe Sora hadn't changed _that_ much...

After that was all over, Sora was still oblivious and Kairi went back into denial. Riku stayed with them anyway. Together they walked down to the shoreline and took off their shoes. For a while, they just stood there, watching the sun on the horizon, just about to set. The beautiful golden rays quickly faded. 'Nothing lasts forever...'

Kairi was wearing a orange skirt with white flowers stitched along the sides and a white tank top. Her 'shoes' were a pair of yellow and orange sandals that matched her dress. Riku wore a pair of baggy black pants and a blue and silver shirt with the twelve Chinese symbols of the animals of the Zodiak in a circle on the front and a picture of all the different animals drawn on the back. His shoes were black with silver stripes running along the sides.

"Guys?" Kairi asked moments later, when they were sitting just on the edge of the beach together, watching the sunset. "Tell me a story... please?" she begged. Riku and Sora exchanged glances, unsure of what story there was left to tell her. Sora looked out at the fiery sun as it set in the distance and sighed.

"Sure. I've got one for you..." He said in a slow, serious manner. Interested, Kairi leaned in closer, hoping that maybe, just maybe he'd tell them what was bothering him so much lately. Riku's ears also picked up, curious as to what adventure Kairi hadn't heard of yet, because he couldn't think of one. Then again, he and Sora hadn't been reunited until after Riku had been reunited with Kairi at least.

Sora took in a huge breath and slowly began his story.

**Well, you see... I've been to many worlds and seen many things. I went underwater to swim and sing with the fishes, and traveled within the circuts of a computer. Once I was a lion and ran all over the glorious Pride Lands on four feet. There were good times and there were bad times. But it was always worth it. So, anyway... what I was saying was, I've had a lot of experiences and they all showed me something new and taught me new lessons. But the greatest lesson I ever learned was in the Betwixt and Between: a place in between the two Twilight Towns.**

**I was fighting hordes of heartless. They just wouldn't stop coming at me. My life was flashing before my eyes and I didn't know what to do. Just as I thought I was going to die, someone who I hardly concidered a friend, helped me out. He saved me. Fighting by my side wasn't enough though. Both of us together wasn't enough. We were still getting beat. So he used everything... his entire being to do an attack that would kill them all off... and protect me.**

**At first I was so happy, because they were all gone. But then, I realized that he was meeting his fate - the fate of any nobody... to fade back into darkness. Then, an intense sadness I had never known before swept up inside of me. Maybe it was Roxas. No... I'm sure it was Roxas... I felt so weak that I could barely hold back the tears.**

Kairi wiped away a stray tear. "Oh, Sora! That's so sad. No wonder you've been so distracted all this time! What I mean is, it's sad, but it's not your fault! Please don't feel sad. I don't want you to be." She said, wrapping her arms around him tightly and refusing to let go. Sora looked over at her and smiled like his old self again... but then it faded away to that look of torment again.

**It's not over yet. Before he faded completely... before he died, he told me about his friend. Told me that... although he wasn't supposed to have a heart, there was this person he was dying to protect - the one person who made him feel real... made him feel wanted - like he was somebody... like he had... a heart.**

**Then he told me that he did it... because he had hoped that he could see his friend again. But... that he was glad to have met me and that... that I made him feel the same way.**

**Something changed within me from that moment on. I no longer believed that nobodies were heartless. How could I after seeing that? But that didn't change the truth. I had one of them living inside of me... Roxas. Slowly, I started noticing his own traits becoming part of my routine... because... truth have it... I didn't want him to fade too.**

**No matter what I'm told... no matter what, I believe that Roxas is his own person and so am I... so was that man who died for me... for Roxas.**

**Roxas and I were always different. If we were really just pieces of a whole person, then we would have been exactly the same. But we are a special case. I know it. But... I have this dream... Nobodies just fade back into the darkness. That is what everyone says their fate it. Not death... but darkness. My dream is this...**

**I want to go into that darkness... I want to bring that man back. I want to make his dying wish come true. I want to make Roxas whole again, because... I had a lot of people that helped me when I lost you guys. I know how it felt to lose a friend. I'm incomplete without you guys. So... it's probably impossible, but...**

Kairi smiled, wiping another tear away. "Namine... she liked your story. She doesn't think that it's impossible. Namine wanted me to tell you that if the time ever comes, she will help you and Roxas." Sora smiled widely and nodded, wiping away the tears on his own face. He hugged Kairi back finally and let himself search for Namine. He could see her smiling back at him, and she winked...

_We pray for our sorrows to end and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish..._

_There are many worlds... but they share the same sky: One Sky - One Destiny._

_We'll go together._

_Roads are far and few between the door to light and the door to darkness_

_But the hearts that can and will find their way on the invisible fragments of a dream are the strongest of all._

_I hope to find yours their... yours and mine._

_Years have passed in silence. Each season brings new purpose... new feelings... a new day._

_Days have passed in succession. Each hour brings you new memories for each moment._

_Moments have passed, but they stay in our hearts forever, as a part of us..._

_And so I step forward to claim the other pieces of my heart. You step forward to claim yours back._

_We step in the same direction... together, with all the memories as each moment brings you closer..._

_Brings you closer to me._

Sora, Kairi and Riku watched the sun set in content silence. Kairi fell asleep and Riku offered to take her home if Sora wanted to stay a bit longer. "Thanks, Riku. Don't know what I'd do without you." he said, fixing his gaze on the distance. Riku patted the boys head and then messed it up, unable to stop himself and laughed.

"You really haven't changed. You're still the same, old Sora." Riku said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sora closed his eyes and grinned in that absolutely adorable way that he could. Riku could almost visably see the way Roxas would roll his eyes and laugh at him for being such a dork all the time.

"Awww, but, Riku! You sound disappointed!" he laughed. Riku picked up Kairi, careful not to drop her or anything. "Oh, and hey!" he shouted at Riku's retreating back. "Don't try anything funny on Kairi!" Riku nearly choked on the air. How could he say that and yet be so oblivious to the way Kairi showed how much she cared for him? He laughed and continued on his way. It was a mystery - too bad Sora didn't come with a manual... Riku might have actually read it out of interest for his friend's strange way of living...

Once they were gone, Sora was left alone to his thoughts. Earlier, he had heard Roxas. What he had said... part of it was like the letter from Kairi. The rest was straight from the heart. He liked it. If he had half of a brain he would have tried to remember it. It was... poetic. So not like him at all.

He laughed. "Roxas... you're weird."

_No, Sora... YOU'RE weird._

For a moment, he imagined Roxas was sitting next to him, instead of resting inside of him. Roxas would roll his eyes and grin, but not without punching Sora in a playful way. Once, he bet Roxas had been cold and uncaring. But not anymore. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that a heart was growing inside of Roxas every day. "It must be my great guidance that's leading him." Sora boasted, laughing himself.

_If it weren't for the fact that I could wield the keyblade, I'd wonder if you were really my other..._

"Yeah... me too."

Okay, so how do you like it? Please review. It just popped into my head one day and I got a friend to help me work it out. This will be continued as soon as possible. I'll try not to put it off like I do with some of my others... ;

So, REVIEW!

Cupcakes for all who do!

Christine Lennoire


	2. Ch1: Lae

**Kingdom Hearts: System X**

By Christine Lennoiore

Beta: None (might have one...)

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammer error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... _smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... _We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Note from the Author: Confused? I hope so... that's kinda what I'm going for, you know with the suspense thing and all. Well, I really hope you enjoy this. Olivia and I worked really hard on the ideas for this. Please review... and flames are for roasting marshmellows. They will be used for such. But I can handle constructive criticism. Thanks, and now, on to the story!

Chapter One: Lae

Sora ran. Run Sora. Run.

His friends were hot on his tail, shouting at him. Of course he always said the wrong things at the worst possible time. It was just a small part of who Sora was... the part that drove Roxas insane. Roxas told him not to do it. Roxas _always_ told him not to do it. Did that ever stop him? No. So that's why he was running so fast: to escape the physically fit Riku and the girl who just managed to stay at his heels.

Feeling particularly tricky, he tried jumping up onto the dock a little early... a little too early. Quickly he lost his balance and fell backwards, flailing and screaming. But he couldn't hear his own screams. As he fell, time slowed and he felt darkness creep in around him. "Where am I?" he asked, as he landed softly on the ground. He was in the middle of a city.

'Roxas... I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.' He said, trying to stifle laughter at his own foul joke. Roxas was keeling over inside. _You and your terrible jokes. Haha... I'm not amused. This place... looks familiar._ Suddenly, Sora felt light-headed. There was a figure walking toward him in a slow and unhurried mannor. 'Who... is that?' For once, Roxas didn't respond. He had seemed to fall 'unconcious' inside Sora's mind.

"So-ra." It was the voice... of a young girl. She pulled back the hood of her cloak and smiled at him. She was short with short, choppy red hair. Her outfit was a simple white dress that came in tight around her waist and belled out, reaching down to her knees. Sora took a few steps closer and reached out. When he came in contact with her soft hair, he gasped.

Awkwardly, she stepped back, flinching noticably. "Sora... the worlds are not at rest. In fact, they are worse than ever! And you are the only one I can trust. Or... more precisely, I've been told to trust you. I can't help much. If I do, things might get even worse. So I'm trying to think of a way to help now but it just... OH!"

"Your enemy is a new group all together. They've been watching you a long time, and using you... in a way. I can't tell you who. They'd find me. Right now I have to hide. Just... waiting. Once you start to piece it together... well, then we can help you. But all I can do is give you one hint. That hint will be very important, Sora. Do not forget it! Are you ready?" she asked.

Weakly, Sora nodded, looking into her beautiful green eyes. "Alright, then. Here it is. Roxas is your nobody. S-O-R-A... R-O-X-A-S... what's the difference? When you figure that out, try figuring out who I am. I'm not sure how long it will take before I can meet you, but the... they are watching me closely because of who I am. Wait for the letter from the King... and then go find your other friends. Soon, your new journey will begin."

Sora had so many questions. He couldn't even logically pick one to ask. "B-but... wha... huh?" She kissed him on the forehead and vanished into thin air just like she had come.

And time resumed just in time for Sora to feel his body smash into the sand. "OOOOOWWWWW!" Roxas finally seemed to stir when he heard Sora scream. _What the...? What was that?_ Riku and Kairi finally caught up to him and both started laughing. "Hey! You could at least TRY to sound concerned!" Sora whined, standing up and rubbing his sore butt.

"Why should we, you jerk! You made fun of our project! Just because you're too lazy to help us work on it and didn't put in any ideas of our own doesn't mean you can condemn ours!" Kairi said, putting her hands on her hips and then shifting her position and crossing them over her chest. "Oh well, are you alright?"

Not even bothering to listen to her ramble, he thought about what just happened. "Guys! I just had the wierdest dream! And this girl told me that the worlds weren't safe. She... told me that we should wait for the King's letter and that it would be coming soon!" he shouted excitedly. Riku and Kairi both stared at him in shock for a second before both bursting with the same excitement he felt.

"Really? Three years late? I wonder what was happening during those three years that no one realized. You know what this means, don't you Sora? We finally get to fight side-by-side... the whole time." Riku laughed, remembering the way he switched sides at the very end of their last adventure. Kairi threw her arms around Riku, startling him and laughed.

"Don't you two DARE think about leaving me behind! I'm going with you. I want to see all those other worlds that you tell me about. I wanna have stories that I can tell when we get back. Pleeeaseeee?" She grinned, hugging Riku tighter. Both boys laughed and Riku wrenched himself free of Kairi's deathgrip and smiled.

He and Sora were going to have fun with this.

"I dunno..." Riku said. "She could get in the way." he said to Sora, who nodded in agreement. Kairi's eyes widened and neither could tell if she was going to cry or beat them both senseless.

"Yeah, and I don't know if I can save the world AND protect her at the same time, even if you are coming along to help, Riku. Let's see..." Kairi looked back and forth between them and began wailing.

"HEY!" But Riku stopped her from Tackling them both by wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he could, without hurting her and laughed. She strugged, but it was obvious which of them was the stronger of the two.

"Don't be silly. Of course we'll take you with us." he smiled. "We'd never leave you behind again... besides! You'd probably be in greater danger if you stayed here, and I don't think we need to get seperated again. You have the keyblade I gave you." he said, grinning. As if it just dawned on her, she remembered the keyblade she had been given to help fend of the heartless.

She smiled. "That's right! So, we'll go together?" The other two nodded in agreement and Riku finally let her go. Kairi took that as her signal to initiate a group hug and hugged them both very tight. This time, let's all stay on the light side. I don't care if the dark side has cookies or whatever! I think I can restrain myself this once!" They all laughed, knowing Kairi's love for cookies.

"Even if they were peanut butter and chocolate chip?" Sora asked, knowing just how much Kairi loved peanut butter and chocolate. She twitched a little, but nodded and they all laughed.

Together they walked up the beach, hand in hand - talking about all the adventures they would have together. Sora and Riku started telling Kairi more stories and telling her about all the places they could go once they got into the gummi ship. Kairi couldn't wait. It was even better than their plan to build the raft and sail away. At least this time, they could all go together...

Walking towards their boats, Sora could have sworn he saw the girl standing by the entrance to the Secret Place, but looking closer, he only saw the leaves of the trees. _Would you tell me what happened? _Roxas asked in a rather annoyed tone. Sora wasn't sure why Roxas went unconcious, but he had a feeling that maybe there was a reason... the girl herself might have done it.

'Nothing. Don't worry about it. Once the King's letter arrives, we'll know exactly what's going on.' he responded, untieing the boat from the dock and starting the long paddle back to the main island. Riku and Kairi were talking about something, but Sora withdrew from the conversation. Something was bothering him. It was the girl's clue:

_**Roxas is your nobody. S-O-R-A... R-O-X-A-S... what's the difference? When you figure that out, try figuring out who I am. I'm not sure how long it will take before I can meet you, but the... they are watching me closely because of who I am. Wait for the letter from the King... and then go find your other friends. Soon, your new journey will begin.**_

What was the difference? At first glance, it didn't seem like they had anything in common. Yet, the more he thought about it, the closer he got. Finally, he had an idea. Once he tied his boat back down, he ran to his house, barely remembering to shout a 'see ya tomorrow!' to his friends before he took off. Kairi and Riku watched him leave, curious.

"He really is acting so weird. I'm worried, Riku... really, I am!" she said, resting a hand on his shoulder. Riku sighed. She was right, Sora wasn't telling them everything. But he was determined that everything would be fine this time and they would stick together.

Riku nodded. "Yeah, but... I have a good feeling like i haven't had in a long time. So... I'm just gonna trust him. He wouldn't do anything that would sacrifice our friendship, and in the end, we're all gonna go on this adventure together, and nothing will change that." he said, smiling at her. Kairi grinned and nodded.

"I never believed that this day would come. I was always so jealous when you told your stories. I wanted to be there. Now I can." She said, smiling. "It's like a dream come true." Kairi hugged him again and took off running towards her house. "Hey! Let's meet at the beach tomorrow morning!" she shouted as she ran.

"Sure!" he shouted back as he started walking home. "Later, Kairi!"

"Night!" she shouted, entering her house, which was closest. He continued walking. Oddly, though, he felt like someone was watching him from the darkness. Needless to say, after he got that feeling, he ran the rest of the way home...

When Sora reached his house, he immediately ran to his room and pulled out a piece of black paper.

S...S

O...O

R...R

A...A

...X

"It's the X! We have all the same letters in our names except Roxas has the X!" He shouted triumphantly. "But how does that help me?" Then he remembered what Lae told him...

_**When you figure that out, try figuring out who I am. I'm not sure how long it will take before I can meet you, but the... they are watching me closely because of who I am. Wait for the letter from the King... and then go find your other friends. Soon, your new journey will begin.**_

L

A

E

And an X

Laex

Exal

Xela

Alex... no, that's a guy's name...

"Oh, I give up! I still don't know who she is!" Finally he laid down to rest, but he was very anxious. He just couldn't wait. Soon, the King's letter would arrive and he and his friends would be rushed off on a new adventure. He hated to admit it, but he had been starting to get bored with just everyday life until today.

'You're unusually quiet, Roxas... what's up with that?' Sora asked 'himself'. Roxas didn't seem to respond. When Roxas remained silent, Sora became worried and opened his eyes... and came face to face with two very large green eyes.

"Took you long enough." She looked at the paper he had scribbled all the names on. As she scaned all the names, she laughed. "I take it you haven't figured it out yet?" Sora shook his head. And then he fell unconcious - into a deep, deep sleep. And he wouldn't wake up until early the next morning...

When he did, the girl was gone, and so was the paper. Sora searched high and low, but it was gone. And when he couldn't think of anywhere else to look, he decided he should go look for Kairi and Riku at the island. It was a good decision, because when he got there, they were already there, waiting. Kairi waved at him enthusiastically, pointing at something in her hand and grinning.

Getting closer, he recognized the emblem of the King on a letter inside a bottle: much like the one Kairi had sent him when they were lost in the darkness. Happily, he ran over to them. "We had to wait for you to get your lazy butt down here." Riku grinned, pushing Sora around a little and grinning. "Kairi wouldn't let me open it until you got here."

"Dang right!" Sora grinned. "WHO'S the Keyblade Master?" he laughed. "That's right... ME!" Kairi sighed and opened the bottle. Before she could even open it, Sora snatched it right out of her hands.

_Sora... Riku... Kairi..._

_Sora, no doubt you have a vauge idea of what's going on. I'm sorry we couldn't tell you more. And by now you must have figured out the first clue. But unfortunately the rest will have to wait. Our enemies are watching us too closely and right now they have the upper hand. We must be cautious. Donald and Goofy left to get you. However, travel has become more difficult than ever, so I'm not sure when they'll get there, but keep your eyes open. The three of you must leave as soon as possible. I can tell you more as soon as you get here. Now, keep in mind, you are not alone. You have Riku and Kairi, and many new friends as well. I'll give you one more hint - Lae will help you. But don't be decieved by apperances and you'll find out who she is soon enough. Her friends may be of some assistance to you too... but I can say no more... Good luck my friends and I hope we can meet soon, in the safety of Disney Castle._

_King Mickey_

Sora grinned. "Oh, I can't wait!"

For a few hours, they just sat on the beach, talking and laughing until the Gummi Ship finally came into view. It was flying a bit... crooked, and for a while, the three friends were scared it would crash right into them. Luckily, it swerved and crashed into the beach at their feet. Sora ran to the door to check on his friends. "Donald! Goofy!" he shouted.

The doors opened and a happy reunion ensued. But it didn't last long.

"We have to hurry! The King said we have to bring you back right away and not to dally dilly!" Goofy said, smiling and ushering them all into the new and improved Gummi Ship. It was now more complex and an even greater fighter ship! Sora and Riku were entranced.

"You mean dilly dally." Donald corrected Goofy before, entering and shutting the door behind them. "Alrighty then... to Disney Castle, Chip... Dale... and, let's work on that landing this time, okay?" Chip and Dale scurried to their 'ready' positions.

"We'll try our best, but the gates are so difficult to navigate..." Dale said.

"Well, just try not to get us killed." Sora said, grinning at the two navigators. They saluted him and turned around to start up the Gummi ship. The take off was a little iffy, but after that, sailing was pretty smooth. The three of them were plastered to the windows, watching everything go by with extreme interest. Kairi was the most excited of all. It was her first time flying in the Gummi ship. And this would be her first time in a new world... This was going to be interesting.

Roxas woke up for the second time after he had been 'put to sleep', unable to remember anything that had happened in the last couple hours. Sora noticed him stirring and laughed. 'Mornin' Sleepin' beauty!'

_Awww, shut up. Where are we going?_

'To see the King.' Sora said happily, looking out the window, into the distance: towards the castle. But there was a vauge bad feeling growing in his stomach that he didn't like...

-

Oh, I'm really on it this time! Another chapter, another day. I hope you like it. Thank you Laila Miller and AnimeDutchess for you wonderful reviews, and i hope to get a lot more in the future. PLEASE REVIEW! Cause I just love my fans and constructive criticism is okay, as long as there are no flames goin' on. Because when flames are used, Axel gets jealous, cause he is the Flaming Fury, so let's leave the flaming up to him, kay? So, REVIEW!

Christine Lennoire


	3. Ch2: The Door to the Twilight

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: (Beta pending...)

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Two: The Door to the Twilight

Boy did Sora hate it when he was right. As soon as they reached Disney Castle, they knew something was wrong. Pluto was barking loudly from inside the castle and they could hear small crashes and other destructive sounds coming from inside. "Already? What's up with these guys! We've gotta go help the king!" Sora shouted, running across the neat lawn of the courtyard towards the castle gate. Riku caught up almost immediately and pulled him back.

"Sora! You have no idea what you're fighting! How can you possibly just run in there and hope for the best? You don't have a clue!" Riku shouted angrily. Really, he was just worried, but how could his friend be so careless? There was a look of determination in his eyes that was a lot like one Riku had seen before.

He pulled himself free and forced a smile. "My friends are in trouble, Riku. Sure, I may not know anything about what I'm up against, but I have to try because... because my friends are counting on me, and so is the King. I'll be fine. Maybe you and Kairi should just wait for me here." Kairi finally caught up to the two, way too busy being in awe at her surroundings to notice the full situation. But now that she was aware, her serious look returned.

"No way! We have a better chance of surviving as long as we stick together. Besides! The King told us that it was important for us to stay by each other at all times! We can't let him down! It's nothing we can't handle... right, Riku?" Riku looked back and forth between his two best friends and smiled.

"That's right. Okay, all together then?" The three of them nodded at the same time and stormed to the front door. What they saw was purely terrifying. They were the size of dusks and they were black and silver. But they were... different. From their head to their toes they were black, but on their arms, legs, torso, and forehead, were different markings blazing in silver. From the moment Sora looked at these creatures, he knew it wouldn't be like fighting the heartless or the nobodies. These guys were different...

"They're... smart!" Sora pouted. It was clear from their fighting stances that they had the semblance of a thought process. Each move was evaluated: not like the Heartless that just attacked blindly, attracted by the hearts of their victims. And not like the nobodies which were hardly more than a shell: or at least the dusks weren't. Sora wasn't about to say that about Roxas... He wasn't so sure that Roxas wouldn't just jump out of him and kick his butt...

Riku pulled out his keyblade, but none of the odd strangers started attacking him. No... they all swarmed Sora. "SORA!" Riku shouted, started when they he saw them all jump Sora at once. Kairi ran forward but was just flung aside by one of them on the outside. After she got up, she tried again, but in vain. "Kairi! Let's attack together!" Riku shouted. She nodded, and they moved in for an attack.

"Wait!" It was a girl's voice. Two blurred objects came flying at the monsters, tearing them apart and killing them. Quickly, the girl ran to pull Sora out of the heap. "Protect... Roxas." Was all she managed to say, before she pushed him away and started attacking again. Sora recognized her as the girl from the dreams, but this time, she was real – and she was fighting. Not too bad... Not bad at all, actually. Sora admired her as she finished off the last of the seven monsters.

She bent over to catch her breath for a second as the three stared at her in awe. That girl had totally wasted them away. "W-who...?" Riku asked, coming closer to get a look at her face. Quickly she jumped up and smiled, stopping him in mid-sentence.

"I'm Lae. Don't worry you two, I'm on your side... unlike those guys. Sorry I didn't really give you a warning. We didn't think they'd get here so fast. The door only opened three years ago. Usually it takes such a long time for them to start swarming, but... well, there's a lot I have to tell you, so let's go see the King. He's been waiting to see you for a while now. When the... well, when _they_ appeared, he had been worried that maybe they would get to you first. But it seems you got here in one piece." she smiled. "Come on... it's just a little bit further this way. We're going to the Secret Room."

Sora scrambled to walk next to her. "Hey... Lae?" She cocked her head to the side and looked over at Sora. "Why did you tell me to protect Roxas? Is someone after him? Because lately he's been falling... unconscious sometimes. Like... I can't hear or feel him anymore. Is that bad? I mean, is that part of their plan or something?" Lae giggled and shook her head.

"No, that was me. Actually, the last two times we met, I wanted to protect Roxas. To do that, I made sure that those guys couldn't follow me to him. To make sure they wouldn't sense him, I put him to sleep. But... Roxas isn't safe. No, he's a big part of their plan, and that's why we have to do all we can to keep him safe. That's why they all tackled you. Pretty smart, aren't they? Not like the heartless or the nobodies... at least, the nobodies outside of Organization XIII."

That made sense... a little. "Yeah. I could see the difference." Riku said. "Where did these guys come from? And what is it that they want Roxas for?" he asked. Lae smiled and winked.

"Come on in... we'll tell you everything we know once we're all safe inside." Lae said, motioning for them to enter the Secret Room. The entire room was dark, so it may as well have been decorated all in black. But actually, all the decorations were green, even though it was very hard to notice. "Sit down... I'll go get the King from the Secret Chamber." she said, stepping into a different door and closing it behind her.

Kairi giggled. "Secret Room, Secret Chamber... it's all so very secretive. It's kinda cool that they're trusting us with it. Or at least I think it is. Are you alright, Sora? Those... those things didn't hurt you, right?" Sora felt all over his body. There were no bruises. No wounds at all. They hadn't even tried to hurt him. All he could remember was how lightheaded he got when they all got close to him.

He shook his head. "Not really, although, I wouldn't say they came bringing gifts. I got this weird nauseous feeling whenever they would get too close. You think it could have something to do with Roxas?" he asked curiously, pulling his knees tight to his chest and rocking back and forth slightly. He didn't look worried... just curious and confused.

"It has a lot to do with Roxas, Sora." They all spun around in their seats and scrambled to get up to greet the King. He certainly hadn't gotten any taller. Actually, he hadn't changed much at all. "Well, hello everyone! I see you got quite a welcoming party. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you fight them off. You're lucky Lae was there. They can be quite ruthless and intelligent. So... where to start. Lae, maybe you should start. You know the most right now..."

What a shock. Sora studied the girl closely. She had to be involved pretty deeply to know more about it than the King himself! Lae leaned against the wall and smiled. Lighting the fire, she stepped in front of it and grinned. "Sorry... I have an odd affinity for fire." She said, grinning and giggling. "So... those things... they're creatures not of the darkness or the light. They're from the Door to the Twilight. They're called Twilight Demons or Eternals. The name suits them, because... beyond the door of the Twilight... you can see some... things."

For a moment, none of them were sure she would continue. Then, she turned away from the fire and looked at them. "The Organization you learned to grow and hate were only their tools. The whole time they were manipulated by these creatures and their leaders. You see, they wanted the Organization to help them open the Door to Darkness and the Door to the Light. Why you may ask? Let me tell you."

"You see, the Twilight Demons live in the Twilight Realm. From there, they can see images of what they only guessed to be the future. What they saw was death and destruction. I... I don't know if that is what is to become of the world, but... what they're doing is wrong. I don't know what they hope to accomplish. But they've opened three of the four doors. If they open the fourth one... who knows what could happen. Already, they've unleashed the nobodies and the heartless into the world when the opened the first two doors. And now the Twilight Demons.. the Eternals, are running free too!"

King Mickey finally stepped in. "So you're not fighting just one, but three enemies. But your main priority... is the group of Eternals. They are the ones that pulled the strings of the Organization. They're not only ruthless and blood-thirsty for something, but they're smarter. So you're going to need a lot of help. But I think if you can protect Roxas and close the door to the Twilight, you can attack them head on and beat the Organization of Twilight Demons."

"So that's our goal..." Sora said. "You want us to close up the three doors while keep them from opening the other door, protect Roxas, AND defeat this unknown Organization? Sounds like a lot to do at once." He said with a deep sigh. "But if anyone can do it, we can!" he shouted. "When can we get started? When do we leave?" Sora shouted, jumping up. Mickey laughed heartily and smiled, holding out a hand to stop Sora from going on and saying anything else.

Lae smiled. "I'm going with you, you know... There's something I'm... looking for." She said, softly. "Besides! I know a lot more about the Eternals than you, so let me come with you!" she almost begged. "Besides, you said yourself that that's a lot, even for the five of you. I could help... please?" NOW she was begging.

Riku laughed. "What about it, you two? Should we let her come with us?" Sora nodded. He wanted to know more about her. Besides... he still hadn't cracked the riddle. Kairi nodded too. Really, she just didn't want to be the only girl with four crazy guys, even if two of them were her best friends. She'd feel better if she had a female she could talk to once and a while, too! Wasn't that what this was all about? Saving the world... and making new friends!

"That's great! I knew you wouldn't mind. Your Majesty, I'll find them, I just know I will!" she smiled, looking towards the fire. Picking up her weapon: the throwing weapon that looked a lot like a ninja star, just bigger. She called it the Rising Sun. That's because the way it was held, the upper half of the circle looked like a sun and the lower half was designed like a moon. Actually, the weapon fascinated Sora. He wanted to try it...

_I can only imagine the terror and destruction that might cause..._ Sora grinned. Roxas was always saying those kinds of things.

'Hey, since I'm the one protecting you, you should be a little more nice to me!" Sora grinned. Roxas didn't seem to think that way. He just chuckled to himself

_Hey, I didn't ask for any special treatment. I don't know what's going on out there. I can only hear you..._

'Really? You should come out then... you have a right to know what's going on...' Roxas hesitated. It had been a while since he had been outside of Sora's body. But he really wanted to. Slowly, he walked right through the barrier of Sora's body and into the room. Lae was the only one who seemed to show any real surprise at his appearance. She blushed and looked away in a way that made Sora curious. "Hey, Lae... this is Roxas! He really wanted to know what was going on so..."

"It only makes sense." She smiled. "It has so much to do with him, so it's only right that he should know the truth. So how about I tell him on the way...? The first place we should visit is Hallow Bastion... I mean, Radiant Garden... you have so many friends there. Not to mention that Kairi's their princess." Sora nodded. He couldn't wait to introduce them all to his friends from Radiant Garden. There was Leon and Aerith... Cid and Yuffie... not to mention Merlin, Pooh and all his friends, Tron, and even Tifa and Cloud.

So they waved goodbye to King Mickey and launched off on the Gummi Ship. Lae hadn't settled down yet. Every time she looked at Roxas she seemed to get so nervous. But she still managed to update him. "And so, that means that they're after you and Sora. I'm here to make sure nothing bad happens to either of you, okay? Besides... other than that, I have a mission of my own. I'm connected too... somehow." She grinned. "But for now, you and Sora should stick together. We don't know what to expect from the Twilight Demons... or the System."

"The System?" Roxas asked curiously. Lae giggled.

"Oh, I suppose in my big rush, I forgot to mention all about the System. It's the big bad organization you're up against. System X was the group of nasty Twilight Demons that were using Organization XIII three years ago. It seems you were always their target, Roxas, but then you left the Organization and went out of their grasp. So instead, they used their time and energy to get the Organization to help them open the doors to darkness and light."

"Not to mention the fact that they got the Door to the Twilight opened all by themselves." Riku said, but it was more of a – thinking out loud statement. Lae nodded.

"But not exactly... you see... opening and closing the doors is a difficult business. They are opened and closed by the four people with the strongest hearts. That's why their after Roxas – he's the nobody of one of those four people. Because of just how strong Sora's heart is – he is a key to one of the doors. So, that means they've captured the other three. If we can free them, they can close the doors!" she said. "But who knows how difficult that could be..."

Riku grinned. "That explained how Sora was able to open the door to the light when we were stranded after our final fight with Xemnas." Sora nodded. He had been thinking the exact same thing. But then...

Sora sighed. "Then why do we have to go around locking all the doors in all the worlds if I could just shut the door?" he asked. It was quite a painful and tedious task.

"Well, you see... It's hard to explain, but let me try putting it this way... the worlds are disconnected. Opening the doors connects them. The King wants them to stay disconnected. Just consider yourself like an ambassador between worlds. Keeping them separate but equal. Okay? It's like... you're putting things back to the way they were before the door opened and restoring the peace? How's that for an explanation? Did it make any sense or did I just confuse you more?"

"No, I get it." Sora said. "We'll just have to take a trip to all of them, then!" he grinned. "Besides, we had wanted to show Kairi around for a long time. We'll reach Ho... I mean, Radiant Garden, soon." Sora grinned. "Be prepared for landing... this may get ugly." he grinned. Suddenly, the Gummi Ship started shaking and vibrating and wheeling out of control and they plummeted towards the surface of Radiant Garden with a bunch of loud screams from inside...

We can only hope the people down below could hear them coming...

Okay, now I'm finally building the TRUE plot. I see some of you are starting to come to some conclusions. The first door that needs to be closed is the Door to the Twilight. And then you'll meet #4 of the four strongest hearts... and Sora gains a new ally. It's all to be revealed... next time! Please keep reviewing! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers... all like 7 or 8 of you. I love you guys so much and I hope you continue to like my story...

Keep sending the reviews so I keep writing (Is review crazy...)

Christine Lennoire


	4. Ch3: Radiant Gardent Part 1

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

* * *

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

**_

* * *

_**

Chapter Three: Radiant Garden Part One

* * *

"Well, if that wasn't the most graceful landing I've ever experienced, I don't know what _possibly_ could have been." Lae said, stepping out of the Gummi Ship. Somehow, it managed to stay functional and in one piece. "But... here we are – Radiant Garden. Just as planned." Sora, Roxas, Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy were still struggling their way out of the sideways door. Sora was the first one out... then Riku, Roxas, Donald, and Goofy. Kairi was last. It had been a long time since she visited Radiant Garden... It was, after all... her home. Yet, her last visit, and the only one she could remember, was to the castle, and that hadn't been very pleasant at all.

Looking around, Kairi slowly started remembering the town. She knew now what it was like to feel like a runaway finally coming home after spending many years away. "It's... really gloomy." she said, shivering. Just the atmosphere was rather dark and dreary. No wonder people started calling it Hallow Bastion... there wasn't much 'radiance' in Radiant Garden. And the looming castle of darkness in the distance didn't really help the town's already dismal feel.

In a split second, they noticed that they were not alone. "Oh no! It's the Eternals!" Donald and Goofy shouted, being the first to spot the sneaky creature. Now out in the open, the Eternal didn't seem to mind that it had been seen. It continued it's journey – headed straight for Roxas, who still remained separated from Sora. Lae quickly intercepted it and threw the Rising Sun at it. To everyone's shock and appall: it caught the weapon and posed to throw it back. "Shhhhh... RUN!" Lae shouted, grabbing Roxas' arm and dragging him after her.

The others didn't need to be told twice. All together they ducked behind the Gummi Ship and waited for it to throw the thing their way. Luckily, knowing what the Eternal was aiming for, Lae was able to position herself and catch it in mid-air and send it right back at the creature even faster. This time, it couldn't dodge fast enough and was impaled by the weapon: causing it to fade into a silvery dust that was quickly blown away by the wind.

"Let's go now. We don't want the System to figure out where we are now!" Lae said. So they went to Merlin's house, the first place they could think of. Yuffie, Leon, Aerith, and Cid were there waiting. Sora grinned and ran to the front of the group.

"HEY GUYS! WE'RE BACK!" he shouted, waving forcefully. Leon turned slowly, recognizing the voice. The others did too. Yuffie smiled and waved back even more enthusiastically and Aerith just smiled and nodded. Merlin was missing and Cid just waved a hand in their general direction and grunted in his usual fashion. Sora laughed. "These are my friends... the ones I was looking for – Riku and Kairi. And this is Lae, a new friend of ours. And he's my nobody... his name is Roxas." Sora said, introducing each of them.

"Riku, Kairi, Lae... and Roxas... this is Leon, that's Yuffie, and she's Aerith. The grumpy old man back there is Cid. These are all my friends from Hallow Ba... I mean, Radiant Garden. Well, actually, there are more. Tron lives in the computer, Pooh and his friends live in that book there, and Merlin's... not here right now." Sora said, pointing everything out. Kairi grinned. It was like a dream come true. All the stories she heard from Sora about his wonderful friends from other worlds... they were all true!

Kairi ran up to greet them. "It's really nice to meet you. We've heard all about your adventures. Sorry we didn't really get a chance to meet the last time I was here. I'm just really glad I finally did!" Riku nodded and shook Leon's hand. Yuffie hugged Roxas, Kairi, and Riku and then proceeded to glomp Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"We were worried you might be in trouble. Especially when we saw the heartless and the nobodies... and now these new guys? None of us knew what to expect. But we're glad you're all safe. You should go upstairs and rest before we start asking questions. I'm sure you must all be very tired. There are plenty of spare rooms upstairs. Merlin had a feeling you'd be popping in sometime soon and quickly prepared for the occasion. If you need anything, just call us, okay? We'll be here, protecting the house from those creatures." Aerith said.

Lae shook her head. "No, Sora. Something is wrong. We have to go to the crossroads now... we have to close the doors. I don't care how hard it will be, I just have a bad feeling about this... From here we can warp there... yes... let's do that. Come on guys, we can rest once the doors are shut. But be prepared, I have a feeling the System may be lurking." Aerith, Leon, and Yuffie all blinked in confusion. Cid just grunted again in frustration.

Riku nodded. "I got a weird feeling too."

"Good observation. But you'll need to be quicker than that." They spun around quickly to catch the glimpse of a girl in a hooded black robe remove the hood and show her long, straight black hair and piercing green eyes. "Name's Roxie. I think you know why I'm here... Roxas. Come with me and your friends won't be harmed." Lae growled in anger and placed herself between Roxas and the System girl named Roxie. The girl just laughed. "You're just as foolish as he was, girl. We are going to save this world from a future not worth living to see... we have seen it."

Lae snorted and pulled out her weapons. "I'll be the judge of my own future! You can't have him! And once we beat you, you'll let the other's go too!" Roxie laughed and pulled out three kunai, and there were plenty more where that came from. Sora blinked, wondering just where they DID come from. "You just can't win... we won't let you." Sora, Kairi, and Riku all pulled out their keyblades and Donald and Goofy both raised their weapons too. Leon and Yuffie stood in the back with their weapons nearby, but not in striking position.

A well balanced battle ensued. Which was... pretty sad, considering it was one to many. But at last, they tired the girl out. "Ugh. Fine. But you'll see, it's you who can't win. You've already lost. All we need to do is claim our prize. And boy will you be sorry when we kick your sorry butts along the way! Next time, I'll just bring back-ups!"

Then she was gone like the wind – barely a whisper. "Well, that was no good." Sora said. "I must really be out of shape!" he pouted, feeling tired and sore. Riku laughed.

"We already knew that. But... you're right. Either we're really weak or she's super strong. Maybe she's number one? No... that'd be way too much to hope for. She's probably the lamest. Everyone knows they send the weak one's first." Riku said, sighing and leaning back against the wall for support. Kairi had fallen to her knees a long time ago. At this, Lae looked up. She nodded, but then shook her head.

"You're only half right. She's probably the weakest, yes. I'm almost certain of that. If what I heard is true, then there is only five of them. And that means they must all be incredibly strong. But... what you said about the weakest always being sent first, that's not true. People are strong in lot's of different ways. The weakest people are sometime the strongest people. For example, there was this friend of mine... his name was Myed. His father was a huge military man and his mom was a tomboy. But he was super sweet."

"All his life, he just wanted to live his life for music. But his parents wanted to see him enlisted in the army. He could never... but he did. Just to please them. Half-heartedly he fought, and like anyone who only fights half-heartedly, he lost his life and the wonderful future that could have come of it. He lost his life to the first hordes of heartless and had his heart stolen from him. And he became a heartless..."

Sora sniffed. "That was such a sad story." Kairi also wiped away a tear. Riku... had his eyes hidden behind his bangs.

"Well, that's it! Now, more than ever we have to hurry to the crossroads and open the doors. Sora... your heart is your strongest weapon. We have to awaken the four people imprisoned there to close the doors. I don't know how strongly they were bound to the doors. But if the System did it, it's probably really tight. So, be prepared. Once we get to the first door... I think Roxas can handle it..." She winked at him in a strange way that made him wonder just a little bit about what they would find once they got there."

Sora nodded. "Okay, don't worry guys! We'll be back as soon as we get the three nobodies of the strongest hearts to awaken and have them close the doors. Then we can help you get rid of any of the remaining baddies, okay?" he grinned, punching Leon's shoulder playfully. Then they ran... all their friends shouted and waved them off as they got into the poorly docked Gummi ship and took off.

Kairi smiled. "I hope we can come back soon. Your friends were really nice." she said. "And I'd really like to see and know more about my hometown you know." Sora nodded and laughed.

"Of course we will! Just as soon as we help these guys!" He said, turning to Roxas. "Hey, Roxas? Do you know which of the Organization members are the ones with the strongest hearts? Do you know who we'll find there. Roxas looked very pale as he asked that question. He slowly raised his eyes from the ground.

"Sora... I don't know. But I... I've been thinking. Lae? Do... do you have a nobody? Were you... ever a heartless?" She smiled and giggled a little bit although she looked like she was trying to suppress it.

"Oh, Roxas... why ever would you believe that?" but she said it in a way that he almost knew that it was true. He instantly sprung up in a whirl of motion.

"Where! Which door! Lae, you have to tell me where he is!" he blurted out, barely able to control himself. She laughed again. "You don't understand! It's... I made a promise to him. I promised that we would meet again in the next life! This... this is it! My chance... I have to make good on this promise because I... because I screwed up the first one... my first chance..."

Lae smiled. "I know. It's okay. That's where we're going first anyway." Roxas seemed to have calmed down and Sora took this as his chance to speak out now that the excitement was over.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Who? What? Why? Where are we going? Who's going to be there? What promise? Huh?" Everyone laughed. It was all the questions all of them had in less than a minute of speech. Lae and Roxas exchanged knowing glances and then Lae turned to speak out.

"You'll see as soon as we get there. I have a feeling you'll have a thank you or two for him as well." she smiled. "Only because you could never truly figure out who I was." This honestly confused Sora and pushed him over the edge. He sighed and fell back against the wall. Oh, and now his thoughts were running wild and he actually shut his mouth.

* * *

In his mind:

_L – A – E_

_and an X..._

_Now the secret was between the three of them, until they reached the crossroads and the road to Twilight... but not until they reached the door..._

The next they heard out of Sora came five minutes later... **"BUT YOU'RE A GIRL?"** and Lae just laughed and shrugged like it was nothing. Sora sat back down and sighed. Then, he smiled contently. He was going to see an old friend again. And who knows, maybe the other Organization XIII members weren't so bad. He'd meet four of them personally so that they could close the doors. It was like they were saving them...

He still had a lot of questions that needed answering. Sora couldn't remember the last time he was so confused. Still, he had his friends with him... old and new. There was still time for the rest to fall in place.

* * *

Woo hoo! New chapter. As the plot goes on, it takes me longer. But I think I have it all straight and planned out so far. So thanks for all your reviews, but I WANT MORE. Please and thank you. I love reviewers because they make change for the better. No flames, but constructive criticism. Thank you, and don't forget the REVIEW.

Christine Lennoire


	5. Ch4: Door to the Twilight

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Four: Door to the Twilight

Demons poured out of every corner. Roxas could barely see. "The door should be close... once we get closer, the eternals won't bother us anymore. They're repelled from the door..." Lae said, fighting off some of the demons that were attempting to carry Roxas off... probably to their leader. Sora and Riku were ahead, trying to clear a path for the others and Kairi stood in back, catching the ones that were too much for the others and scouting to make sure nothing weird was happening while they weren't paying attention. Finally, they passed the invisible force and went in – beyond the barrier, looking at the door to the Twilight.

Up upon the door was a cloaked figure, tied up by his hands and feet: with it's head hanging limply over it's body. "AXEL!" Roxas shouted, bolting forward. It wasn't a problem. The ropes that held him up were weak, and easily broken. And in an instant, the hooded figure fell forward into Roxas' waiting arms as the others ran to catch up with him. "Axel, please wake up!" Roxas sobbed, removing the hood and looking at Axel's life-less face. Lae walked over to him and stood hovering over his shoulder.

"It's just as we suspected. Axel himself is not the key to keeping the door open." She said, pointing to the door that refused to close. "He was just a bait to lead us here... because they have the key... they have our heart... That's the key that keeps the door open... that's why it won't shut." A small bout of laughter resounded and a black figure emerged from behind one of the open doors. Everyone gasped in shock as they came face to face with the first member of the System...

She bowed gracefully, before removing the hood. Her face was pale and thin and she was a sickly looking thing. But her hair was black as the night and long and waving gently behind her. "Number Five. Roxis." She said calmly, nodding her head. "It's good to see you... Roxas. You've evaded us far too long. The whole Organization XIII thing was all about getting you and the four other princes... but you were too smart. We never even got the chance to steal your heart and open the door... but we have the other three... and I'm going to deliver yours personally..."

Roxis pulled out two medium sized swords that she wielded like daggers. Lae grinned. "Roxas, protect Axel... until he wakes up, he's no use to us." She said, pulling out her weapon. "Come on, guys... let's show 'Roxis' how we handle the bad guys!" Sora and Riku dropped back and prepared to fight. Kairi took one of Roxas' keyblades and gladly joined them – now wielding two keyblades. Sora took the hint and with Goofy's help, turned into his Valor form, while Donald prepared to attack and heal with magic.

A very one-sided battle began. From the very beginning, Roxis was weak and overpowered. It didn't take her long to realize it too. She growled in anger. "Don't think you've won. The only thing you've won is a heartless doll. You can't close the door and soon we'll come back to take Roxas again!" Roxis shouted, jumping back into the abyss and disappearing almost magically. Kairi dropped to her knees and both Riku and Sora were panting.

"This isn't going to be easy at all..." Sora said. "And she wasn't really that strong, I thought. But we still should have been able to kick her butt. Instead, we're half-dead with exhaustion." Lae turned around and walked over to Roxas, who was still holding on to Axel protectively. Roxas looked up at her sadly and shook his head. He wanted to scream... he wanted to pound something... he wanted to... to cry. Axel wasn't waking up... and there was something moving... maybe one of the eternals had broke through and was attacking him...

MOVING?

He looked down and noticed Axel's eyes were slitted- they were barely open, but he could see. His arm was feeling around blindly and came in contact with Roxas' chest. "Holy... I must be dreamin'." he grinned. "Nah..." he groaned. "I'm in way to much pain to be dreamin'." he told himself, stretching out a little bit. But Roxas didn't care. He practically jumped on him and switched their positions so that now Roxas was on top. "Augh!" Axel shouted in surprise.

"Damn you! You should've woken up faster! We thought you were dead!" Roxas said, pounding on his chest. Axel laughed and hugged his friend. "I guess miracles really do happen, huh? You kept your promise... but... I guess you heard... we were fooled, you know? The System had us wrapped around their fingers the whole time! We had hearts... and now... now I don't... I realize what it's really like now... because... I can remember what it was like to feel. Like... I should feel really happy now... but I'm not."

Roxas sighed. "We'll get it back. Don't worry. We're a force to be reckoned with, here." he said, smiling up at the others. Sora nodded fiercely and Riku grinned. But Kairi just groaned. She was laying down on the ground in exhaustion. Everyone laughed. She looked so pitiful. "But Axel... there's a question that I just have to ask you... okay?" Axel sighed.

"Sure, I guess. What is it?" Axel asked, pushing Roxas off of him and sitting up slowly.

"Who are the other two? I know it's supposed to be you and me and two others... and that we were all in the Organization... so which other two members was it?" Roxas asked. Axel sighed yet again.

"Well, I don't know the other one, but I know Demyx is one of them. Who would have guessed that that little goof ball would be one of the four princes of heart?" he laughed with this empty sort of tone that Roxas really didn't like. Still, it was kind of odd. Roxas remembered Demyx and the wild and spontaneous lover of music who liked smiling and hugging people who really didn't like to be hugged. Maybe that's what made him so... so... so... sooooooooooooooo

Demyx.

But him being one of the four princes with the strongest heart? Wow... And now it seemed like they had a problem much larger than they originally thought. Their hearts had been removed and they were tied to the doors. But they'd have to go one on one with the System to get their hearts back. Lae kneeled down next to Axel and sighed.

"Long time no see, huh? Well, don't worry. I won't let him get away with your heart! You are my nobody... but you have a heart of your own... somehow. I can tell, because... well, I just know. Just like I know that everything will be okay, and we will win! Besides... he has my heart too... along with the hearts of the other two princes AND their others. It's the bond between their hearts that keep the doors open. Or... at least that's what I think, anyway. That's the only reason I can think of that they kidnapped the others and took their hearts too!"

"So... they're after me, too?" Sora asked. Lae nodded.

"You're not number one on the list. But as soon as they have Roxas, they're gonna go after you... That's why I want you two to stay separated. If you two were together, it would be much easier for them. This gives us more room to work with..." Lae smiled. "You see... I escaped, but I left the other two behind. I feel terrible... but now it's my duty to return them to safety... and all of you too! So lets get the others and... and DESTROY SYSTEM X!" she said, grinning madly. Sora nodded, and Riku helped Kairi up to her feet as she returned Roxas' other keyblade.

Riku looked around at everyone and grinned. "Alright... which door comes next?" he asked, looking to Lae for answers. Lae looked at Axel, who just shrugged, signifying that he knew nothing and turned away from her.

"Well, we'll go to the Door to Dusk next. I don't know what's waiting there, but I know that the Door to the Light is reserved for Roxas. That leaves the Door to Dusk and Darkness, and I don't know if I want to deal with that many heartless just yet. Not right after that battle, eh? So lets go the the Door to Dusk first and go from there once we've rescued the Prince of Heart tied up there."

Sora had been absent-mindedly twiddling his thumbs and suddenly began to look alive. "Alright! But... let's stay clear of the System right now... I don't think we could handle another attack right now... Roxas... please take care of Axel." Roxas, who had been staring out into space, trying not to cry, focused on his friend and nodded fiercely.

"I won't let anything happen to you." But Axel just looked at him. Roxas felt his heart aching. He had a heart for so long when he thought he had none, and now he was realizing the true impact of a heartless person. It hurt, because he now knew how Axel felt all those times when he turned him away – saying he had no emotions or feelings... or a heart. Now it was turned on him, only the truth of the situation was – Axel DIDN'T have a heart.

Unlike Roxas, it wasn't a lie... it wasn't a misunderstanding... and that's what hurt the most. When Axel looked at Roxas – when he heard Roxas speak – he felt nothing... he couldn't care less, because he was heartless.

Roxas helped him to his feet and they walked out the way they came. Once again, they formed their position of protection and fought the Eternals as they struggled to leave the area and return to the Crossroads... where they would turn and once again pick a new road... one step closer to the answer and System X's dark evil plan...

Roxis watched them leave. Her eyes glowed with anger – the anger that came from the knowledge that they defeated her. "Don't worry... I'll make sure that you will NOT survive your next encounter. And yet – I will be the one to take Roxas and his other to Master. Believe it!" She said, laughing menacingly and taking out an orb.

"I thought this would be an easy one battle fight. But I was wrong and I underestimated them. Still – everything is still in my court. I have the means of defeating them... it will just take longer than expected." She said, pocketing the orb and disappearing in a whisp, following the small band of good-doers closely with a trained eye. What does she have planned? Whatever it is, it's not good.

And what's waiting for our friends at the Door to Dusk? Or more importantly, who? Is it Demyx? Or is it the other, unknown Prince? Until next time!

KINGDOM HEARTS III /-/ SYSTEM X

So, what do you think? PLEASE REVIEW! I'm working really hard on this, so tell me what you think. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I am enjoying writing it. This is the biggest plot I've ever come up with I think. So leave a comment please and thanks! I'll try to update again soon. I have lots of plans and ideas for this now and as I go on, it's getting easier to write, because it's flowing.

3 Christine Lennoire

P.S. Did I mention... REVIEW! Cake for anyone who does! Or cookies, if cake isn't your thing...


	6. Ch5: Door to Dusk

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Five: Door to Dusk

The air beyond was thick and humid, as they passed onto the road that would lead them to the next door... Electricity cackled around them in an unnatural way. A very unsettling way. Sora noticed the clouds shrouded around them and stopped. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, huh?" he asked, pushing away a little bit. The dark power emanating from that cave made him very nervous. "I have a bad feeling..." he said, looking at Kairi and Riku, and then to Donald and Goofy. Lastly, he passed a glance at Roxas, who looked more than a little depressed since their meeting Axel. It was killing him inside.

And Sora wanted nothing more than to end it quickly – but, after that last battle, he had become very aware of the slim chances of that happening. Roxis had given them enough trouble to begin with. Now there was this: a power much stronger than hers, emanating from beyond that road. Could they survive a chance encounter with any of the other System members? Kairi was weak – real weak. She had fought so hard in the last battle, and having never fought before in her life, she was drained. Riku was practically dragging her along. But she seemed to like it.

Resting, that was. Not Riku. Sora kinda cringed at the thought. It was kinda obvious. They were getting along very well. Considering how long the three of them had been separated, Sora told himself that a lot of it was catching up... right. Catching up... Besides... moving on, Donald had used up a lot of MP and energy. Goofy was still well rested and Lae looked like she could go for another round, but – could he count on either Roxas or Axel to fight? If Axel couldn't, Roxas would obviously choose to protect him instead of fighting. Sora knew that. And he didn't know if that was worthing taking a chance on.

Lae sighed. "I don't have a clue if it's a friend or a foe, and right now, I don't think we're in the right condition to be taking such chances. It could be their leader for all we know, and I don't think we could even run fast enough to get away if we needed to. Besides, we have to protect Sora and Roxas yet. They won't come after Axel's body or me, since they already have his and my hearts. Still... maybe we should try the Door to Darkness. That might be safer at this point, even with all the heartless coming at us. At least those things are dumb and easy to kill."

Kairi stood up on her own and nodded. "Yeah, besides – we can't just sit here and wait, can we?" she smiled. Sora grinned back, glad to see she was getting some strength back into her. For a long time she just forced herself along. Now she actually looked alive and awake and moving. "Or maybe we can...!" She grinned, having a new idea pop into her head. "Why don't we go back to Radiant Garden for a while? We could rest up, train a bit, and then return before anything too terrible happens! Besides – they need Sora for their plan to work, and they don't have him! We do! So they can't really do anything about it!"

"She has a point..." Riku said, smirking. "I think we could all use a little training. I don't know about you guys, but I felt pretty pathetic back there, fighting that girl! And she's only number five! If it's anything like the Organization, then they just keep getting stronger as you go up in the numbers!" he said, shrugging. Axel looked at him and gave another one of his hollow laughs.

Axel had been silent for a long time, and suddenly, he took action. "Not necessarily. With us, it was in the order we arrived, you know? I mean, Roxas was the last, but he certainly wasn't the weakest. That was number nine, Demyx." he said, thinking. "She could be the next strongest – only because I think number one is usually the strongest." he added, pensively. Roxas listened intensely. He was interested in what he was saying, but he was also still searching for traces of the old Axel in him.

Lae touched the door to the chamber and shuddered as a dark shadow began crawling up her arm – attempting to swallow her whole. "W-what!" she shrieked, jumping back. The shadow let go and retreated back into the chamber. "What the hell was that?" for a while, all she could do was shake. The others ran up to her to make sure she was okay. Sora examined the door with his keyblade at his side, ready to attack if he needed to. It was sure a stranger, but most dangerous type of power. He put away his keyblade, certain that it wouldn't leave to attack them if they didn't come in contact with it first...

"Something's definitely weird about that." Sora said, patting Lae on the shoulder in a comforting manor.

"Creepy, ain't it?"

Everyone jumped at the sound of Roxis' appearance. She smiled brightly, as if she was pretending to be their good friend. "Uncontrollable rage and pain radiants from him..." but then she stopped, deciding that that was all she was going to say, and no more. Roxis pulled out the orb from earlier and set it on the ground before her. "Are you ready for round two? I am..." She grinned wickedly and a strange light began to radiate from within the orb. "Behold my true power!" she shouted, leaping up into the air. The ground leaped up with her, creating a platform for her, high above them.

She had changed. The black robe that screamed "Organization XIII" style was gone, and replaced with a brilliant silver robe similar to the silver color of the Eternals' markings. It was only half of a robe, really. The robe stopped at her knees, revealing black pants and black boots. The sleeves were longer though, and flapped in the wind as she stood there. "I see your awe. I am flattered, but here is the moment of truth! Fight me!" Sora pulled out his keyblade and Riku and Kairi followed suit.

Roxas pulled out both of his, but he stayed back by Axel, who made no move to help them. "Awwww, how cute! Not to mention that this works to my advantage. I take it you won't be fighting, Axel?" She laughed wickedly. "I suppose not. We drained you pretty good, huh?" Axel looked at her curiously, and then pulled out both of his chakram and laughed that hollow, horrid laugh he had picked up since he had lost his heart to the System. Roxas looked at him, both shocked and confused.

"Who said I wasn't fighting? I'm feeling a hell of a lot better since then, and just because I don't have a heart doesn't mean I have to be heartless. These are my friends. I can't feel the love and companionship for them, but that doesn't mean that I don't know it's there! Got it memorized?" he taunted, spinning his chakram in a dangerous way. Roxas smiled and took a fighting stance. "Get ready for the fight of your life lady!" Axel shouted, running at her with a sudden burst of speed, and in an instant, the battle had been initiated.

The orb changed everything, though. It weakened them and strengthened her, but how – none of them were sure. It glowed red every time they attacked her, and green every time she attacked them. Finally they came up with a plan. Roxas and Axel pulled back and Roxas began whispering something into his ear. Axel grinned and nodded. "HEY LADY! YOU HAVEN'T HIT ME YET!" and then he threw his chakram at her. She made a move to block the attack and protect herself... and left the orb unprotected.

Roxas struck the orb as hard as he could with both of his keyblades causing it to crack and smoke. Roxis howled and doubled over in pain. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" she screamed in agony. "I made that out of my own... blood." And like the orb, she began to smoke, and fade away. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!" and she disappeared into the air and so did her orb. Roxas looked at the spot where it had been and sighed in relief.

"That's one down!" Riku said, smirking.

Sora laughed. "Only four more to go!" Everyone rejoiced... except Lae. She stood back and watched with a careful eye, examining the situation. She kneeled down and felt the spot where the orb had been... it was freezing cold, which was weird, since the smoke had been so hot...

"Guys, don't get carried away just yet. Even if she is gone, we still have plenty of problems of our own. The first, and most important, is the Door to Dusk. Something is majorly wrong with that... that... whatever it is. Don't you see? We've only just begun. My lack of a heart allows me to step back and see the facts. Perhaps this is a was of keeping us out... and that will not do, since we must rescue the other two princes." Axel also seemed to follow her in her train of deep thought, but had a much different idea.

"Or maybe it's keeping the prince IN. She said something about the way uncontrollable rage and pain radiates from him... well, he's good and well angry. He may have tried fighting back, and they might have locked him in." Axel said, looking at the darkness.

Kairi got up from the ground, where she rested after battle (yet again) and smiled. "Well, maybe we could go to the Door to the Darkness. Maybe if we can get in there, we can find one of the other princes, and just maybe he'll remember something Axel hasn't." Lae looked at Kairi and seemed to think on it for a second before nodding her head.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. We don't have any other real clues at this point. But... I think we need a long term plan... what will we do after we find him? Where do we go from here?"

Riku sighed. "We can go back to Radiant Garden, just like Kairi said earlier. We really do need training, and perhaps we could even check out the other worlds to see what's going on there and start closing the doors." Everyone seemed to like this plan and quickly agreed.

"And the next step after that... is to see the King! Maybe he has some new clues. He knew more than most of us at the start of this journey. And he has many ways of finding stuff out. We should check in with him too, while we're at it!" Sora said, grinning proudly at the thought that he had finally come up with a good idea. Kairi smiled at him, which threw him of... but only a little bit! He blushed slightly, grinning sheepishly. Everyone also agreed on this and they began their trek back to the Crossroads, and the last door: and their last chance of finding out adding a new member to their party before things would heat up about the Door to Dusk and whatever the darkness surrounding it was...

Kairi skipped the whole way and Riku just laughed as Sora tried imitating the girl's skip in a mocking way, only to have her catch him and hit him over the head quite painfully, making Riku laugh even harder. Lae fell in to a content silence and Donald and Goofy were talking excitedly about seeing the king again. Lastly, Roxas and Axel stayed behind the most. They talked about memories they shared and Roxas got Axel caught up on the facts they knew so far.

Axel tried to remember something else from when he was captive. The only thing he could recall was Demyx being dragged out of the room an hour before he was, and the screams of pain he heard. "That must have been when they removed his heart, now that I think about it..." he said. Roxas nodded sadly. "I don't remember anything from when they did that to me. Remembering now how he screamed... I wonder how I could forget something like that." he said, trying a weak attempt at a smile.

Roxas sighed. "Don't worry. I'm going to set things right. After all, I have them to thank for the chance to see you again. Because they manipulated us, I guess none of the Organization really died. It all went according to their plan, huh?" This makes Axel turn pensive and he becomes completely silent. "Plans, huh? I don't know how they could have possibly planned that all out. In Castle Oblivion, it was a mess... everybody betrayed everybody and... I guess everyone died, though, but..." he became thoughtful.

"You sure have changed. Without your heart, you're much more kind and intelligent and pensive... it's wonderful!" Axel gave him an odd look and scrunched up his nose. Roxas laughed. "It's scary... I like the old Axel better." Axel fell back into a peaceful walk and tried again, in a slightly better attempt to smile as if he was happy. If he had a heart, he would have been so happy... he knew that, only from his memories of feelings.

"Hurry up guys!" Donald shouted back at them.

"Yeah, huh huh!" Goofy laughed. "We're almost there!" Axel and Roxas exchanged nervous glances and ran to catch up to the others who were waiting for them at the entrance...

"My plan worked like a charm... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Fools won't know what hit them. But what the heck... I've hurt them enough. I'll give them a prize for such good behavior. This is turning out to be quite amusing actually. Who would've guessed that these idiots could actually put up a good fight."

"Hey, you've had your turn! Until Mr. Emotional comes under control, let me have some fun with them. I bet I could beat them without your dirty tricks. Wee can't get that stupid kid's heart yet, but they don't know that. You calm him, and let me get the kid. Besides... you'll get more praise that way." The first figure seemed to think it over and then nodded.

"Fine, but it's only because you're not strong enough to do it, and the Superior and his two lap dogs won't/" She scoffed and huffed off.

The second figure, a male, laughed. "Of course... he's way too much trouble. I'll deal with the little kiddies and their two heartless dolls... then I'll get Sora and Roxas and together, we'll finish this off and complete our one goal and mission, once all four doors are open..."

Both figures began to laugh evilly...

Bum bum bum! Okay, I didn't get much feedback last time – okay, so I posted this chapter really fast – but, I really would like at least 10 more reviews before I upload the next chapter. I really want to know if you guys like this, and get some ideas as to how to improve. Praise is good too! I promise it won't inflate my ego too much... . So, I'd also like to hear what some of you think I have planned or who the fourth prince is. Some people's thoughts made me laugh. Your opinions on my plot and choice of characters is also appreciated.

Okay, well that's all from me. I hope you enjoyed.

Christine Lennoire


	7. Ch6: System X Report I

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Six: System X Report I

Lae opened the door for them, and they entered the small chamber. Heartless were everywhere. Some clung to the ceiling and the walls, the floors were covered, and even the body of the poor prince was covered. Lae gasped. "HEY! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" and they set out through the crowd, fighting off all the small shadows that tried to stop them along the way. The were weak, but still, there were so many of them, that it took a while to get them all. Finally Lae was able to throw the ones from the prince's body and kill them as well. Axel and Roxas helped the poor thing down and Donald healed him up.

Finally, Sora got the honors of removing the hood. There was Demyx, the same body Sora remembered fighting... the odd one. But he looked different somehow, drained weak and frowning. His childish exterior was gone, and there was something just plain wrong about it. Kairi took a cloth out of her bag and Donald wetted it with water magic and she laid it over his head. "He's waaaayyyyy out of it." She said, "but the water seemed to help quite a bit." That gave Sora an idea.

"Drench him in it." he said, grinning. Axel looked at him, knowing just what he was thinking. Kairi looked at him like he was crazy, but Donald and Goofy already knew that, and trusted him. "It's his element anyway, so it should make him feel better. He can absorb it and turn it to power or something like that, although I can't say I'd do the same thing with Axel and fire, but... in this case, I think it's okay." Sora grinned sheepishly. Kairi thought about it and then nodded too and Riku just watched in amusement and Donald set off a nice gush of water over his head.

"WA-AH!" Demyx shouted, startled and now fully awake and aware of his surroundings. "T-that's f-f-f-freezing!" he chattered through his tightly clenched teeth. Donald snickered, but Kairi had already pulled out a cloth and gave it to him like it was a towel. He pushed it away and stood up, drenched as he was. "I'm fine, don't worry. Just... let's have a warning for that from now on, o-k!" he said, grinning like a fool. Axel sighed and shook his head. For the first time, Demyx looked around at everyone. "AXEL! And Roxas too! But what's he doin' here? This is sure an odd bunch." he laughed. But his laugh too, had changed.

"Yeah, well... a lot has happened." Axel said, shrugging. "I take it you're not aware of what's going on either, huh?" he asked looking at the blonde musician who looked very... blank. Normally, his face would be alive with emotion and energy. Now it just seemed pretty dead. And he was listening, something he rarely did before because he was all about being wild and crazy. This was a tame Demyx... woah. Roxas didn't know how much more he could take. These were people he knew. These two had been the closest things to friends he had in the Organization. And he didn't like what they had become.

Demyx snorted. "Yeah I know what's goin' on! Five black shadows came and captured me right after I 'died' and brought me here. They must have drugged me up pretty good, because I hardly remember anything about the next five hours. Then I was tied to this... this DOOR and left here all by myself ever since!" he pouted. "They betrayed us... I know that. Everything that happened... it was all part of their plan to cause some kind of world disorder!" he sighed. "They're looking for you, Roxas. If they find you, Roxas..."

"I know... I know." Roxas said. "It's all over if they get a hold of me, so I have to stay far away. Well, we have plans of our own. We're not going to let the System win and we have a plan. Demyx... we need your help." Demyx smiled in a way similar to that he normally would have. "We can fill you in on the whole story, but it should probably wait until we go see the king." Roxas said, looking at the others. "Something weird is going on behind the Door to Dusk. And System X is behind it. So we can't rescue the fourth prince yet, but we are making a plan to get your hearts back..."

Demyx looked at the floor. "W-when I heard the truth, I couldn't believe it. All this time, we had hearts, and they convinced us that we didn't. We shouldn't, but we do, because of our others – because our others were strong. So when we lost our hearts, new ones were able to grow from the strength of our other's true heart. But that explains why we are different... But now – I want my heart back! I deserve that much, don't I? I wish... I just wish everyone could be just as fortunate. What about the other Organization members... are they... r-really dead?"

Axel groaned. "I really don't know." Demyx just nodded his head sadly. Suddenly, a piece of paper fluttered down from the hood of his robe. "What's that?" Demyx shrugged, not remembering having the piece of paper with him. Axel picked it up and examined it. "I think the System must have dropped this by accident. Here's our next real clue. Maybe this will help us somehow..." He unfolded it and let everyone crowd around him so that they could all read what they would call the 'System X Report I' after the Ansem Reports.

_This **child** is a problem. I have been trying **desperately** to remove his heart for **days** now, but something keeps stopping me. If it wasn't enough that he had to survive our plans of 'killing' him off, he is now difficult and unruly. His emotions are wild and he emits a strange and dark power. This may be his fighting ability, but I am unsure, as we have never encountered him in a fighting situation. I am at the edge of my limits. As Number Two, if I can not get him to weaken his power and allow me to take the heart, we have little hope._

_Perhaps we can let him drain himself first. That was my first thought. If his powers were drained first, then we could indeed go in and remove his heart. But first I must ask the Superior. This boy has been far too much trouble. We never anticipated such a stupid child standing between us and our true goal and purpose. I must not let him stop us. It is too important. Now I will go to the Superior. I am sure there is something we can do to drain him to make sure our plan goes through._

_But those meddling others must never know. If they did, that would be most treacherous..._

Everyone stood silent for a moment, as they let the full impact set in. "So it wasn't **System X** after all that was keeping the **prince **from getting **out**..." Riku said in awe.

"The **prince** was keeping the **System** from getting **in**!" Sora said excitedly, glad to finally be able to catch up and understand after a bit of lagging behind the others. Lae nodded, once again in deep thought. Demyx and Axel just blinked, unable to come to a conclusion as to the final prince's identity. Roxas was just as stumped, and no one else seemed to be getting any bright ideas.

Demyx grinned. "I don't know anybody that could fight with a power like that... not in the Organization, anyway. Sorry guys, but I really can't help you on this one." This made Axel think. From what Demyx said, he suddenly got an idea, but it was just a hunch, so he decided he would stay quiet until they got to see the king and until he learned a little bit more about the situation.

"So... what should we do first? Return to Radiant Garden or go see the king?" Lae asked, looking around at everyone that was gathered there. Everyone thought about it for a while and finally, Kairi, as Radiant Garden's princess, decided that she would be the one to speak out and represent her ideas to all the others.

"Maybe we could go there and send a letter of warning to the king. It would be a bad idea to just show up uninvited. Besides, he had quite a few problems with the Eternals. We should wait to hear from him first." Everyone nodded. "In the meantime, we can train, and perhaps look for more clues like this one. This seems to be part of a private journal. We also have learned from this, that number two is a bit of a science man. Who knows what we could find? And maybe one of them might remember something. There are lots of possibilities. We have to wait until the Door to Dusk opens again and the darkness disappears..."

Sora smiled. "That's a great idea! We should hurry to Radiant Garden right away and sent the king a letter telling him about all the new information we got and ask him for a meeting so he can tell us anything else he learned in his travels!" Sora added, hoping to have another bright idea.

"Half of that is good, but I don't think we should include any information in the letter, in case it's intercepted. We should wait until we see him face to face. He'd want us to be careful with it." Riku said. "But I agree with Sora... the sooner, the better. We should hurry, because we don't know what they're planning or how much time we have left."

"Your time **is **up." A new voice joined them. "Man, I could have stood there forever and you never would have noticed. Your skills are lacking." he was tall with short, spiky purplish-red hair and golden eyes. "Number Four. Rath." Everyone gasped and took a few steps back from the odd newcomer. He had a robe like Roxis' new one: silver and bright. His pants were also black, but his boots were silver, like the coat, unlike Roxis who had black boots. Sora scowled menacingly.

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Riku ran up to stand next to him and fight with him. They exchanged glances that made them both grin confidently. "You guys go! Riku and I can hold them off until you get safely away!" Sora shouted.

Kairi shook her head forcefully. "NO WAY! Then you won't have a way to get back! We're in this together. You're not sending me away to be protected like some fragile princess. I can fight too! I'm not going to leave you alone! I don't want to – to lose you guys again! We just found each other!" she shouted, pulling out her keyblade. "Now, WHO'S WITH ME!"

Everyone else also grabbed their weapons and they all rushed the startled Rath. Luckily, he was quick and was able to dodge the first onslaught. "Not bad. It's soooo sweet. Sorry I have to ruin the moment by spilling your pretty blood, but it's just soooo much fun." he laughed, pulling out his weapon: a strange staff that had blades on both ends and a large red gem in the center. "Let's see how you can withstand this." a whirlwind of dust rose up around him, hindering their vision and movement. "You haven't got a clue as to where I am or what I'll do next... can you even see your friends? You might accidentally hit one of them if you aren't careful." he laughed menacingly, moving about freely, his eyes dancing about in a super-aware state.

Demyx took the initiative. He ran forward quickly, using his eyes to guide him. And he found Rath, only to recall his missing sitar and have himself be thrown forcefully against the wall. "Demyx!" Roxas shouted. "Are you okay?" Demyx had been weak before, and now he was even worse off. He let himself drift off into unconciousness. Rath was laughing wickedly, pissing Sora, Riku and Kairi. They used the cleared path in the dust from Demyx to guess Rath's approximate location, and all three of them closed in at once.

"You could die. But still you fight, not begging for mercy instead... why is that? If you beg, maybe I'll let your friends go, Roxas... you and Sora just have to come with me, and you can save your friends. I may even let you go back to them once I have your hearts. I'm feeling a bit gracious today." he laughed. But Roxas wasn't listening. While Sora, Kairi, and Riku kept him distracted, he jumped in and attacked from above. They were causing such a racket that Lae, Donald and Goofy could easily find them and go to help right away.

Lae used her quick reflexes to catch him off-guard. She didn't hit him. Her weapon caught his robe and stuck into the wall, leaving him stuck and unable to escape while the rest started a ruthless beating. Rath struggled to get out, but now that he was cornered, there was little he could do. Even his powers of wind couldn't save him. He had already used so much of his powers to create the powerful storm. And still they broke through it and attacked.

Rath finally broke free and managed to jump over their heads. "I think I understand a little better. My test has been successful. I will be back, Roxas. Your heart is growing stronger and stronger. What are you fighting for now? Is it for the right to live your own life...? Or perhaps it's your friends? Well, soon enough, that will not matter. We will have you. Our plan will go through. We will win and... well, I'll leave that for you to figure out. I'll say hi to the others for you." he said, laughing again, and disappearing just as easily as Roxis had. The last thing they heard him say was 'Roxis was right about you guys...'

They all sighed in intense exhaustion. "We should hurry. Let's go to Radiant Garden and work from there. We have to hurry up with that letter before it's too late. I'm sure he wants to know about this new information we've uncovered." Lae said. Axel went to Demyx and carried him back to the place where the ship was waiting patiently for them.

And they sped off... back to Radiant Garden, one step closer to the truth, and yet – were they?

Roxis laughed. "You aren't so strong now, are you?"

"I must admit, I did underestimate them. Perhaps the two of us should pay them a visit together." Rath suggested, smiling wickedly, looking at the orb which was still bright blue. "So you're going strong. What's so special about the whole proof of existence thing? That was just a plan we came up with the keep track of those pathetic Organization XIII members." he scoffed.

"This was made from that... that difficult boy's proof. Isn't it beautiful? They will never notice either. They are completely neglecting the ties we had to the Organization this whole time. But they are forgiving them easy enough, aren't they? Best friends already. It would have been so much easier if it all went according to plan... if it weren't for Roxas and that... that MONSTER child... oh, but I'm being impatient."

"Everything will all work out for us in the end..."

OKAY! That was fast, especially for me. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! I think this story is going very well, and so far people have been telling me the same. But i want more. Tell me what you think or your opinion. Free cupcakes and cookies!

So just push the button... pweease.

Thanks. I hope you enjoyed this.

Christine Lennoire


	8. Ch7: RG Part2: Letter to the King

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Seven: Radiant Garden Part 2

'Letter to the King'

Upon entering Radiant Garden a second time, and much more gracefully this time, they were met by the smiling faces of all their friends. Yuffie ran up to the Gummi Ship with Leon and Aerith walking at a slower pace, behind her. But Leon was the first to greet them. "Welcome back. It's been quite a while." he said, nodding at Sora who grinned widely. The others were all tired from the long ride, but not Sora – he looked ready for another round yet which made the others groan just thinking about it.

"We thought you should know..." Aerith interrupted, frowning slightly, "that there was a woman here looking for you a short while ago." she said looking around. "Just a tip... you know... in case you didn't want to run in to her." She smiled knowingly. "There's a place you can stay where she won't find you as quickly, where you can stay until you have rested up a bit. It must have been a long and tiring trip – you all look positively dead!" she giggled. "Leon will show you where it is located, won't you?" she asked sweetly, but Yuffie jumped in.

She smiled innocently. "Oh please let me! I know where it is!" Aerith laughed and nodded. "Yay! Let's go, guys! It's a bit of a walk, so we should get started right away!" Sora immediately followed her and the others kind of lagged behind. Lae was trying to keep up with Sora. She tried to listen to what he was saying, but could only nod. All night, she stayed up with the pilots who wanted someone to talk to. She was heartless, but that didn't mean she had to act that way.

But it was coming back to bite her in the butt.

"Have you heard a word I've been saying? I mean – truly?" Sora asked, laughing. She blushed and giggled lightly, shaking her head 'no.' "I didn't think so." he added, looking away so he could see where they were going. "I was just wondering... you said that they needed hearts to keep the doors open, right? Did they take yours, too? Or was it just Axel?" Lae looked up at him and sighed. Who knew that this strange boy could ask such serious questions at a time like this? She groaned and began to explain.

Lae began at the very beginning, having nothing better to do. "Before the Organization was formed, their hearts were taken from them – the hearts that formed – not the original hearts of their others. And then, they erased their memories and placed fake knowledge in their head, telling them that opening the door to Kingdom Hearts would get them their hearts back. Truly, there were only four Organization members they were truly interested in. Those were the nobodies of the four people with the strongest hearts – those who could open the door..."

"Roxas, Axel, Demyx, and..." Sora stopped. "Do you know the other person that's locked up there? I have a feeling you do." Sora said, innocently, staring at her intently. Lae sighed and shrugged.

"I don't remember anything. Roxas left the organization – and therefore, was no longer in their grasp like he had been before. But they figured if they lured you, they could get you both. And so they continued pulling the strings of the Organization. You escaped again – you defeated every member of Organization 13 but 1 I believe, and they said he fell unto ruin somehow other than by your hand. So they changed directions and decided to lure us in. All three of us were captured together..."

Sora gulped. "And they-"

"They took out my heart and the hearts of the two others. They numbed me and locked me away. But they never imagined that I would escape. I couldn't save the others. I had never even seen them before... I did not even know their names. I simply ran to the king and told him what I knew, which was still very little. He promised to help and then – he sent for you. He told me that he had sensed trouble – and that you had the strongest heart he knew, and were probably involved. He told me about Roxas and everything..."

"I see. That's terrible." Sora said, looking back at Roxas, Axel, and Demyx, who were talking amongst themselves. "It must have been so hard for them." he added sadly. Lae nodded, following his gaze.

"All of them have had such a hard time. For a long time, they did not have hearts. But hearts are strong, and since their others had such strong hearts, it was a strong sense of loss. Eventually, though, as time went on, their hearts grew back. It was some kind of miracle. And then System X took them away again. Nasty people... I want to kill them all." she added truthfully. "They are the ones who deserve this pain and punishment, not the Organization!" she sighed.

"We'll stop them. And then we'll make sure that the Organization's name is cleared and everyone can be happy again. Or at least, that's what I'd like to believe. I just have to keep believing. We're gonna win this thing!" Sora said optimistically. "Besides... we can't afford to lose. The entire world is at stake! Who knows what would happen if the System opened all the doors... only they know."

Lae sighed very heavily and shook her head. "No, they don't. Not even System X has the answer to that. I think they are just hoping for the best... or the worst, I'm not sure..." Sora kicked up some dirt, shuffling his feet angrily but didn't say anything. They had reached their destination. Everyone hurried inside, happy to get some rest.

Yuffie grinned. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys later! Just lay low for a while. We'll deal with those weirdos for ya!" she waved as she ran off, back on the same path they used to get there. Sora and the others waved back before entering the small safe-haven. Lae, Sora, Riku, and Kairi immediately got to writing the letter to the king. The others decided to get some rest at least until tomorrow, when they would have to get up and start forming a 'real' plan of action.

Kairi agreed to do the writing and Lae would dictate it to her. Riku and Sora would also give suggestions and then proof read it before they sent it. Lae began thinking as Kairi sat down to begin the letter.

This is what resulted:

_King Mickey,_

_It's been a while, I know. A lot has happened in that time – more than you could imagine. Now we posses the empty shells of two of the other princess. Sora and Roxas are still safe, thank heavens. But we have run into two of the members of System X already. Now time is running thin and we need to know anything and everything. If there is any information you could give us, that would be wonderful. A meeting would be nice, since we do have more to tell you, but limited information must go on this paper. I will be sending this with Donald and Goofy on the Gummi Ship. We eagerly wait for your reply, your majesty._

_Signed_

_Your faithful servant_

_Lae_

_P.S. Demyx and Axel are with us. But the third prince yet we do not know. Something strange is going on, but that shall be something we discuss later._

"Perfect." Riku said, handing the letter back to Lae. She nodded and quickly handed it to Donald.

"You know what to do. Inform us immediately if anything goes wrong. Got it?" Donald and Goofy both nodded in unison before running out the door towards the Gummi Ship, which had been brought in by Chip and Dale shortly after they arrived at the small cottage.

Goofy grinned. "Don't you worry a-hyuck! We'll be back, sound and safe in no time!" Donald shook his head in disdain.

"It's safe and sound!" and with that, they jumped into the ship and took off towards Disney Castle. The ship seemed to be moving faster, so they took that as a good sign and settled down a little.

Kairi smiled. "Everything will be okay, you know?" she said. Sora nodded and smiled back. "Still... it will be hard to just sit here and wait for them to return." she said, sighing and looking out the window. They had just moved out of her sight.

Sora laughed. "No it won't! I plan on sleeping the ENTIRE time!" he grinned, jumping onto one of them beds. Roxas rolled his eyes and Axel laughed in his... strange unemotional way. Demyx grinned and took one of the other beds... quietly, for once. Roxas couldn't stand it. This was 'out-of-character' hell, he knew it. These were people he knew well, but... they were so different...

He could only sit back and wait...


	9. Ch8: Prince 4

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Eight: Prince #4

Sora and the others waited pretty patiently. Days passed without any sign of their friends return. After the first week, they finally started to get worried about their well being. It was pretty weird for them to be gone so long, even if they went all the way to Disney Castle. Still, it would be three more weeks until they finally got their long awaited response... although, it wasn't what they had expected... Not. At. All. Riku quickly ripped it open and read it aloud for everyone who couldn't crowd close enough to see the writing. It certainly wasn't the King's handwriting...

Hey, guys

Long time no see. We missed you so much that we just had to drop in. But all we found were these two guys and your pathetic King. So we're still waiting for you. If you want your friends and King back, you'll come pay us a visit, okay? Thanks.

Love ya,

Roxis and Rath

Riku shook his head and threw the letter down. "Damn it! They caught us. And we were so close." Kairi sighed and walked over and picked up the letter from the ground. Riku sighed. "What now? We have to go get Donald and Goofy. Not to mention the King. Who knows what Roxis and Rath could do with them. And we can't let the System win. Not now!"

Kairi patted him on the shoulder. "But what if we can't defeat them? We can't let them get us too! If we lose and they get Sora and Roxas... then it's game over! And not just for us... EVERYONE!" Kairi said, sitting on her bed and throwing her hands up in the air. Lae sunk down to the floor with a defeated look on her face. Sora growled angrily and took the letter from Kairi, reading over it a second time, rather quickly.

"But if we don't, it won't matter, so we have to!" Sora shouted. "They are our friends! We have to protect them! No matter what stands in our way..." Riku sighed.

"Still... I think you're forgetting one thing..." Riku added, pointing out the window. "Donald and Goofy took our only means of transportation. There is no way that we could get to Disney Castle, even if we wanted to!" Lae stood up and ran to the door, peeking out the small window in awe.

Lae grinned. "Don't count on it! I think Chip and Dale escaped!" she said excitedly, looking back at the others. Everyone ran out to see the Gummi ship hurtling towards them. Demyx grinned and started running.

"WATCH OUT EVERYONE!" He shouted, ducking behind a bush. Roxas and Axel jumped back and the Gummi ship landed between the three nobodies and the others. "Eep." Demyx said, looking out from behind the bush and grinning. Roxas and Axel glared at the wimp who saved himself... 'the scardy cat' Roxas thought to himself in a very annoyed manor.

The door opened, but Chip and Dale weren't the ones to come out. A boy stepped out – a boy wearing the black robe of the Organization. Demyx stood up quick and brushed himself off. He looked completely abashed. "Z-zexy!" he ran over to meet the other boy. He looked completely tired and beaten. His face was weary and there were bruises all over. Sora just looked at him, completely confused.

"Who!" Sora asked, looking at the strange silver haired boy.

Axel grinned playfully. "Ah! Hey Zexy! How'd you end up in our ship, falling through the sky? And you look like you just went through a terrible fight... or a tornado. I'm guessing the tornado, since you 'don't fight'." Axel chided, lowering his face to Zexion's height. Zexion appeared very annoyed. Very. Annoyed.

"Don't call me that." he said, limping towards Axel as Axel raised his head, and standing right next to him – which was an awfully fun sight, considering Zexion's nose came to Axel's chest. But he looked pretty fierce, standing there like that. Axel laughed and messed up Zexion's already disastrous hair. Demyx decided that Zexion had a nice break and that he could now...

'Glomp' him. It was like a hug, but much more quick and practically had Zexion crashing to the floor under Demyx's weight. Luckily, he was able to lock his knees and force himself upright again. Most of the members in Organization XIII hated Demyx. Mostly because he was the weakest of them all. But Axel and Roxas were nice to him. And Zexion didn't seem to hate him or love him. Either way, it was the same to him, and he put up with the crazy blonde – which led to Demyx's fondness of him, because he was the only person above Axel who didn't despise him.

There was this fascination with him... not to mention that a lot of the others considered Zexion weaker that Demyx even, only because he chose never to fight. So why did he look like he just fought the System AND all the heartless, eternals, and nobodies that probably crowded Castle Disney at this time...?

"You okay?" Demyx asked, using his height and current location (hugging Zexion) to bend down and be able to see Zexion's face. He looked like he was trying very hard not to kill Demyx. If Demyx had a heart and could feel fear – well, let's just say he would have run for the nearest hiding spot a long time ago, but since he didn't – he continued to hug the shorter man and smile.

Zexion wrenched himself free of Demyx and scowled. "No. And neither are any of you." he said seriously, looking around. "System X has captured the king and his queen. Not to mention that the castle is horded with eternals and heartless. The nobodies are remaining outside the castle... trying to make sure that nobody even makes it inside."

Sora grinned. "That just means one thing!" he said, looking around at all his friends, who all nodded in agreement.

"RESCUE MISSION!" They all shouted confidently. Zexion twitched, unsure if they WANTED to die, or if they had yet to fully grasp what he had told them... or perhaps they were just all plain crazy. Still... there were a lot of them... maybe...

He was being positive... Zexion shook that thought quickly.

"How could you possibly hope to survive all that AND save your friends? It's ludicrous. What you need is a plan." he said in a matter-of-fact way, hoping to persuade them to see some sense and decide to forget that imbicile plan of just barging in and...

Demyx laughed. "We aren't going to 'just barge in there'! Of course, we need to hurry. You of all people know that! Planning... that's what we have you here for!" he grinned. "You **are** our great tacticion. I know you can come up with something by the time we get there!" he said. Zexion just glared at him.

"Then that's settled! Let's get the Gummi Ship up and running!" Kairi shouted, being the first one on board. With a shout of 'Coming!' Riku and Lae followed her aboard. Axel and Roxas followed close behind, with Demyx squealing in a false kind of happy, behind them. Zexion continued to stand there. Sora stared at him.

For a moment, a staring contest had begun. Finally, Zexion was the one to look away. "I can see the changes..." he said sadly. "None of them are the same. I didn't want to admit it, but... it seems I have been fooled. It seems... that I have a heart, and that those horrible people are really after it. Not to mention that Demyx and Axel have had their taken already. With... Demyx... it is all too obvious. He's not... happy... anymore." he said softly, trying to hide all emotion.

Sora smiled at the silver-haired nobody. "Yeah, you're right. But that doesn't mean a thing! We're going to beat this... together." he said. "Zexion, right?" he asked. Zexion nodded, eying the Keyblade master. "Nice to meet ya!" he grinned, holding out his hand.

Zexion stared at it for a moment, before reluctantly taking it and shaking hands with him.

"So... RESCUE MISSION!" Sora shouted, climbing aboard. Zexion watched him go and sighed, following behind him and jumping up onto the ship again. This was going to be one hell of a fight. And Zexion had about an hour to perfect the plan that would keep them all from dying...

"_**Joy."**_ he grumbled, reluctantly sitting next to Demyx and trying to work out his plan -while- dealing with Demyx, who kept talking to him and distracting him from his work.

Finally, he had an idea... so crazy that it just might work.

Yay, new chapter! Whaddaya think? Hope you're liking it. Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying it and following along. Please, keep reviewing and I hope to hear from some new people too! Constructive criticism is accepted and taken seriously. Reviews make me update faster.

Cupcakes for all my former reviewers – and here's a pan for all of you I know will review after you read this!

Christine Lennoire


	10. Ch9: Rescue Mission! Trust the Newbie

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Nine: Rescue Mission! Trust the Newbie!

Zexion jumped up as soon as Disney Castle came into view. They would be there in mere minutes. He walked over to Sora. "Just how attached are you to this ship?" he asked, motioning to the flying craft they were currently riding in. Sora followed his arms as he motioned to the Gummi Ship. He had been using this thing for a long time. It was the same one he first received when he started out on his mission to stop the heartless and Ansem, years ago.

'What's this guy planning?' Sora asked himself, confused and just a little bit worried. "Well... I mean... if it's for the King and my friends, do what you have to. This ship means nothing to me if I can't save them!" Sora admitted, completely forgetting about all the things he though earlier. This... Zexion... he was their only hope of coming out of a very one sided battle on the winning side. Sora knew he would have to trust him if he ever hoped to save Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and Queen Minnie.

With another quick thought, Zexion began to pace. Then he nodded and turned to Demyx with the lightest of smirks. It was a step up for him, Demyx knew and grinned. "What can I do?" Demyx asked, reading the look on Zexion's thoughtful face. And the smirk grew a little wider as he walked over to Demyx and motioned for him to follow him to the cock pit of the Gummi Ship, where Chip and Dale were flying the vessel very carefully and without mistake.

'No...' Zexion thought. 'That just won't do.'

"Excuse me. I have an order from the others and ourselves." Zexion said, speaking politely to the two pilots. He would have liked to just throw them out, but he knew that was not an option, and would be a pretty rotten thing to do, even for him. So he kept on smiling. Dale jumped out of his chair, leaving Chip do take care of the Gummi ship while he acted as ambassador for a moment. Zexion was eying the controls and watched as Chip flew, taking notes mentally and storing them for later.

Dale bowed quickly. "What can we do for you? We aim to please – Chip and Dale at your service!" he said, also mentioning his teammate and co-pilot, Chip. Zexion smiled back, trying to hide his reaction to the obvious annoyance of Dale's high and chipper voice going off in his head like a bell.

Zexion grinned. "We need to let him pilot the ship for a while." he said mischievously. Chip and Dale's eyes both became wide and 'shocked beyond all belief' came to mind when seeing the looks on their faces. This only made Zexion grin more. Not to mention the look on Demyx's face: pure fear and nervousness. There were many gasps and choking sounds before Dale found the will to speak again.

"Huh? But... but why? Is our driving insufficient?" he asked almost frightened. After all, both of them were the king's men, so they must have been used to high standards. That's why they flew so well – to avoid getting hollered at by some of the nasty people they flew to and from the castle at the king's request. High standards... hah! Zexion sighed.

"No, not at all. Quite the opposite, actually. What I want you to do is go out to the others and tell them to hold on for their life. We're going to get rid of the heartless surrounding the castle." Sure enough, the heartless could be seen in a huge swarm outside the castle. Seeing all those heartless and too scared to fight anymore, the two pilots nodded and rushed off to tell the others what Zexion had just told them. "Alright, Demyx. I would tell you to crash into them all, but..."

"I don't think I need to tell **you** to **crash**. I know you'll do just fine. Just ram all those stupid heartless. Well... try to avoid the castle if you can..." he added as an after-thought. He dictated all the things that he had learned earlier from watching the pilots, and Demyx took off.

For once, Demyx kill a **lot**. And he didn't need **any** help to do it. Zexion knew he was perfect for the job. His reckless flying and wild nature had the Gummi Ship ramming and destroying every heartless waiting outside the gate. The stupid things were too dumb to even run. All they could do was watch as they got a huge ship dropped on them, had it run over them, or had it run right into them.

Zexion was proud of his plan. It worked like a charm. Of course, when they disembarked, they themselves had taken quite a shaking from the battle, but being able to stand on solid ground for a while let them catch their breath and set themselves straight. Kairi looked quite disheveled and her cheeks were a bright red. Wearing a skirt while being tossed all around was **not** a good idea. She was quite embarrassed and stood there, holding her skirt down the whole time, while trying to get out the wrinkles.

And best friends of course – Riku and Sora – they of course laughed their heads off at poor Kairi's misfortunes.

Sora grinned, finally able to choke back his laughter. "Alright, Zexy! Worked like a charm, but what now? Brute force?" he asked, looking at the front gates that led to the castle. Zexion shook his head and pulled back both of his sleeves, revealing that both of his arms were wrapped up all the way to his elbows. And slowly, he began to unwrap them with care. Sora and the others watched in awe as he moved with grace and purpose.

"No... save that for System X... you'll need it." Zexion muttered. Finally, both of the wraps dropped from his arms, leaving some strange black symbols open. "Open the door... and then... get as far away from it as you can!" Zexion shouted, slowly raising both of his arms. Sora and Riku did the honors. Taking Zexion very seriously, they opened the doors and ran.

At first, the eternals just turned to look. It was all they would have have time for anyway.

From Zexion's arms poured darkness – the same darkness they had spotted coming out of the door to dusk earlier. Demyx, Axel, and Roxas were all taken aback. This was the same boy who – in the Organization, refused to fight. Now he too was slaying every eternal that came in contact with the darkness flowing forth. 'People change...' he thought to himself spitefully. Ever since he learned the truth... he knew that he had to fight, because it was important... to him, and the other Organization members. Some of which, he hated to admit, weren't so bad...

The attack killed every last eternal, but left Zexion a crumpled heap on the floor: a total mess. Demyx ran to his side and Axel, Sora and Roxas followed. Lae who had been quiet until now, sighed. "He used all that energy to keep the System out of the door to dusk, and didn't have much energy left. That attack took almost all of the energy that he did have."

Demyx shook him by his shoulders, praying that he would wake up. "No... Zexy..." invisible tears were shed from his missing heart.

"D-don't... call... me that." Zexion grunted, forcing himself to sit up, only to be 'glomped' once more, and land on the ground with a truly happy Demyx on top of him. Well... he would have been happy if he could feel happy... Zexion groaned. "Can we have a warning for that from now on?" he asked, pushing Demyx off of him. Demyx grinned sheepishly and nodded.

Sora laughed. "Alright! That just means the rest of us will have to fight and you have to lay low. That's fine. You did a great job. Your planning was perfect, and your fighting was even better! So the least we can do is give you a little break." Sora added, helping him to his feet. "You could hide out in the Gummi Ship remains!" he chuckled, glancing at the destructive pilot.

"No... that's not necessary. I may not be able to fight anymore, but I am not running away." Zexion muttered. "I'm tired of running away. That's why I'm fighting. Because... there is something worth fighting for. And if I can't fight, I'll be your tactician..." he smiled, completely shocking the other nobodies. Zexion never smiled... well, he never used to anyway. He was the kind who would say it's pointless to smile if we cannot feel happiness, and therefor cannot use the feeling that tells you there is something to smile about... but he had changed. Demyx liked it...

Riku grinned. "You're starting to sound like Sora, yeah?" Everyone laughed along with Sora. It's true. Sora was their optimist after all.

"Yeah, sure! I mean, if I don't trust you by now, I never will." Sora said, patting Zexion on the shoulder. "Let's all go together, then! We can do it! Do you know where they are hiding out?" he asked Zexion, who seemed to know so much about the situation earlier.

He nodded. "Yeah. Do you remember the secret room and the secret chamber?" Sora, Riku and Kairi all exchanged glances and nodded. "Well, your friends are in the room, and the king and queen are in the chamber. I know one of the members was in the room, and I could hear two voices coming from the chamber, but that's all I know." he added.

"Good enough. It's more than we knew before. Thank you!" Kairi said. "SO... let's go!" and together, they charged their way through the castle, straight towards the secret room, where they had been briefed almost a month ago on System X and the princes. Now they were actually going to fight the System. This could be the end of their fight, or not. It could be coming to a close, or it could be a long time yet. None of them knew or cared, because... things were looking up for them.

Next chapter... DONE!

I'm working really fast now. But that's only because once I had the idea for Demyx's flying, I couldn't stop there. I hope you like it and please review!

The tray of cupcakes is still there!

I like the semi-cliffhanger. You don't know if the next chapter will be the last, or if there will be about ten more. hahaha. I know... I'm evil... ZEXION DID IT TO ME!

. So thank you all my fans. Now... push the button that says 'review story'

You know you want to!

Christine Lennoire


	11. Ch10: Believe

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Ten: Believe

There were no other guards – the palace was completely empty. But when they reached the Secret Room, they came face to face with three very amused people in silver and black robes. Roxis and Rath were there, but it looked like they had brought a friend this time. "Let our friends go!" Sora shouted, being the first to barge into the room. Roxis laughed and the new girl just rolled her eyes at them. Rath remained indifferent either way. Suddenly, the doors locked behind them, and the new girl stepped forward.

"Good of you to come at our request. Your antics out there were rather amusing and I enjoyed watching you. But now it comes down to you, or us. And hell if I will be beaten by a bunch of kids!" She shouted. The girl in question wore the same thing as Roxis, but had the most amazing long, silvery blonde hair, pulled back into a plain ponytail and bright blue eyes. It didn't look like she had a weapon, until she raised her hands high up into the air. Se easily controlled the air around her. And if that wasn't all, she had metal claws attached to both of her hands.

She grinned. "Number Three. Ino." She stated, just like the others had before her: her number, then her name. "Let's get started, shall we. Rath, keep watch over the prisoners. Roxis... go to the boss. Tell him that we found them, and that we have it under control for now and to go on with the plan unless he hears something else from us before it goes down." Ino said, swishing her pretty blonde hair. Roxis growled, but did as her superior told her to and vanished.

"Now... let's play." Ino said, lashing out with amazing speed. Sora dodged it, but Riku was blown off to the side. Lae jumped as far back as she could and used her weapons to allow her to fight from a distance. Kairi found herself face to face with Ino, but her larger weapon gave her a bit of an advantage – allowing her to block Ino's attacks. Zexion stayed back at a distance too, so he could watch closely – and give hints. And his excellent sense of smell couldn't hurt either.

Demyx, Roxas, and Axel took the offensive and attacked her from three different sides, making it difficult for her to escape, even with her intense speed. Roxas had both keyblades and was able to use them to throw her against the wall. "Contain her! Axel! Use your fire!" Zexion shouted, forming another plan inside his head. "And hurry!"

Axel did as he was told and formed a semicircle around her – created of powerful flames she could not escape. They rose higher and higher. Now, the battle was left entirely up to Axel, Roxas, and Demyx, stuck inside the fire with her. She growled in irritation. She liked to move – but now she was unable to without burning herself. Roxas moved in for the kill.

But she slipped away, just barely, almost throwing herself into the fire. With another quick burst, she thrust her claws deep within Demyx, pushing him back against the wall for a moment. He couldn't fight back... he was cornered. Pain seeped into him and he went limp moments before Axel and Roxas could team up against her, doing a pincer attack.

Ino fell back against the wall – bleeding a silvery substance. "Augh!" She moaned in terrible pain, as he existence faded into nothingness, and any plans she had for the future died with her. Roxas ran over to check on Demyx, as Axel stood petrified – watching the scene – unable to feel a thing for Demyx...

The others waited – unable to see a thing over the towering wall of flames. Slowly they dwindled down. They could see Axel's silhouette standing to the far left and then... the blob that was Roxas and Demyx. Zexion could smell it... he knew... he ran...

"DEMYX!" Zexion shouted, running to his side, practically knocking Roxas aside. The wounds were deep, and would probably get infected at this point. But what if he faded away? How could he possibly stop that if it happened. That couldn't happen! Not until he got their hearts back. He closed his eyes and forced himself to pick Demyx up.

Rath laughed. "So you really killed her..." he gasped. "Well, well, well. You're not as weak as I thought. I guess I'll have to entertain you until Roxis gets back, huh? Too bad your friend is incapable of fighting back. I wanted to see your full potential. Now he'll only be a hindrance..." Zexion scowled... remembering... remembering...

_**Number nine... he'd be number thirteen if it went by strength.**_

_**You are useless Demyx! Can't you do anything right?**_

"_**Zexy..."**_

"_**Don't call me that!"**_

_'You were trying to find someone... who wouldn't call you weak_

_You looked to me, because I didn't fight at all..._

_You knew they hated me too..._

_We are... very alike... and yet I treated you the same as they did..._

_**Weakling**_

_**Useless**_

_**Worthless**_

_**Dumb**_

_How many different names did they use against you, just to make you feel inferior?_

_Well... I know now._

_And I believe in you... so... hang in there._

_You will have your chance to show them all..._

_Tell them they were wrong!_

Demyx stirred. "Be careful. A new fight has just begun." Zexion said, loosening his grip. Demyx's eyes opened quickly and he grinned. "Don't do anything stupid, Demyx." Zexion said.

And what could Demyx do but laugh.

"But Zexy!" he whined. "That's what I do best!" he grinned.

Zexion rolled his eyes, but he was smiling on the inside, too. Demyx was just Demyx. And Zexion was okay with that right now. He helped him stand up on his own. "It's about to start..." Zexion said, looking at Rath, who pulled out his weapon.

"Good." Demyx said in a dark voice, filled with determination and confidence. Zexion smirked. He wasn't the same little boy he remembered bringing in after he arrived in The World That Never Was. Something had changed. Somehow he was stronger, even if just a little bit. And he was getting stronger every day.

**You are a nobody, Demyx. But you will not fade back into darkness like the rest – we are stronger. We... are the Organization. We will find our hearts... That is the power of Kingdom Hearts.**

**Zexion...**

**You will come with us. With Xemnas as our leader, we will accomplish great things, and our plan will come into action.**

**It's not right...**

**We were never supposed to exist.**

**How can you say that... Even if it is true?**

_I believe in you..._

Yay! Another chapter completed. Please review, and I hope you enjoyed this. I will try to write another chapter again soon.

Christine Lennoire


	12. Ch11: Wrath of the Hateful Soul

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Eleven: Wrath of the Hateful Soul

Rath pulled out his strange staff and the blades glimmered in the light. "I won't go easy on you this time!" he lunged forward and caught Riku with one of the blades on the end, digging into his skin slightly before throwing him up against the wall. Kairi took a step in to swing at him, but he leaped over her head and turned around in mid-air, giving her a nice kick in the back.

Sora growled. "Kairi!" There was no response from the girl, as the smoke began to settle. "Riku!" There was a grunt. Riku was still down... "I won't let you get away with hurting my friends!" Sora shouted, fighting one on one with him. Roxas moved quickly to back him up, while Axel, Zexion, and Demyx stayed further back. Axel could still attack, but Demyx was weak – and Zexion wasn't ready to fight again yet, either.

Both Sora and Roxas were able to fight off Rath together, but even the two of them were only equal to his strength. 'He's so strong...' Roxas thought to himself. 'It must have taken so much training to become this way... but why? What does the man hope to achieve? What is he fighting for?' Roxas asked himself. Maybe if he could figure that out, then he could understand what System X was up to...

Pale golden eyes watched Roxas like a hawk. 'Can he tell what I'm thinking?' Roxas asked himself, matching Rath's movements with his eyes. Rath's every movement was filled with strength and hatred. Roxas could barely block him – and he couldn't find an opening in his form to attack him. Sora and Roxas could both attack him at the same time, and he'd stop them both.

Axel watched their movements, and waited until they both attacked at once. When they did – he made his first attack, throwing both of his chakram at Rath's back.

The chakram succeeded in creating a huge gash across Rath's back, and causing him to stumble. A stumble that allowed both Sora and Roxas to move in and attack him. Even then, Rath was scheming. He blocked Sora's attack, but Roxas caught him anyway. Lucky for him, after the first barrage of attacks, he was able to retreat.

"I... will... NOT... lose... to you." He panted and gasped. "Do you have any idea... the PAIN... I have seen? From beyond the door of the Twilight, I have watched the destruction of man! I have seen how all the people I love and cherish NOW will DIE soon... I know each and every detail of their dying moments, although they are here with me now. It is only a matter of time..."

Roxas gasped. 'So that's it... he really does hold a pretty big burden. But it doesn't seem to affect Roxis or Ino in the same way. This... Rath... he is different from them... somehow.' Rath shut his eyes tightly – as if forcing back tears that threatened to spill. "They... made... me... watch it... over... and over... until I... was STRONG!" he shouted angrily, his eyes snapping open.

"Ino and Roxis knew I was weak. I was younger than them, and refused to see the truth. So for days on end, I sat in that room and watched those images flash over and over again in my mind until I couldn't take it anymore – I broke down. And they... built me back up again... different... stronger..." he said, his eyes flashing with unshed tears.

"So I will be strong for them... and I will save the people I love from the death that I know is awaiting them! I will destroy this world! I will break it and build it up again, just as System X has done for me. I will not give up... I will not give in... I am not the same young weakling that I was before... my heart is strong and emotionless, just like it should be!"

Sora gasped. "But it's not. You still care about these people... whoever it is that you are protecting. You are fighting for someone. Deep down inside, you just want to find another way. Ino and Roxis have used you to further their plans, but you are not like them. That's what we want! We want to find a way to save the people we care about, without risking losing whatever time we have left with them!"

Rath looked at them, dumbfounded, and collapsed on the cold hard floor. Thinking he was ready to give up, Sora and Roxas walked towards him, to help him up and ask him to join them.

It would have been a nice plan. But Rath jumped back up – looking livid. "You are messing with my brain! My true friends are here! Roxis and Ino and the others are going to help me and NO ONE is going to stand in our way! Do not use my weakness to try and kill me, because I am strong, and shall not be fooled."

He struck both Roxas and Sora at the same time, and flung them – throwing them right on top of Axel, who he had noted to be the one who injured him before. Zexion and Demyx hurried over to check on their friends. Roxas and Sora were in bad shape. It had been quite a forceful throw and their landing had not been comfortable at all. Sora could barely move; Roxas was unconscious after hitting his head against the wall.

Axel carefully picked them off him and set them down – still able to fight. "What now, guys?" Demyx looked up at Rath with an angry glare in his eyes.

Demyx looked down at his hands, and water began to flow and shape itself in the air. "Now you've done it." Zexion grinned. "We'll show you just how capable we are as your equal opponents!" Zexion said, flexing his arms – ready to use his powers again after being able to rest for a while, and Demyx looked ready to kill.

"Let's do it!" Demyx smirked.

Yay! Another chapter done!

COMING UP NEXT:

Chapter Twelve: Dragons Unleashed: Ultimate Technique?

Please review! I will try to write the next chapter as soon as I can. This time I baked two cakes for my reviewers... one white and one chocolate. So enjoy them in the review lounge as you are reviewing! Thank you.

Christine Lennoire


	13. Ch12:DragonsUnleashed:Ultimate Technique

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Twelve: Dragons Unleashed: Ultimate Technique!

Demyx looked antsy, but he shakily walked forward. Rath only had to look at him before he had started laughing. "Your the one Ino trashed. Oh, please don't over exert yourself! I wouldn't want you to really get hurt... or... die." His tone was cold and... taunting. He was daring Demyx to try something... anything. But Zexion had something else in mind.

"Wait! Demyx, no." Zexion shouted, grabbing his arm. "Neither of us are able to fight on our own. We're too weak." he said. Demyx looked... hurt... and angry. But Zexion wasn't finished. He grinned and pulled Demyx close so he could whisper in his ear. "I have a better idea. Our powers are weak on their own, but together..."

The happy go lucky blonde jumped back up. "But together we can do anything!" he finished. Concentrating, he focused all the power he had left into Zexion. For a moment, Zexion began to glow a light blue color... and then it turned black... and finally... white. Zexion opened his eyes and began chanting like some old geezer who studies Latin and ancient ruins.

Axel watched Rath, who was entranced by the situation unfolding before him. He was able to use that to his advantage. Axel snuck up behind him and restrained him. "NOW ZEXION!" Zexion's eyes closed and he raised both of his hands. Demyx felt a strange tingly feeling, and suddenly, a dragon made entirely out of water appeared before him.

He was twice as long as the room, but his body twisted and bended with the room. The dragon had large fangs and darker blue eyes than the rest of his body. But that wasn't the scary part. He had a twin, almost... another dragon on the other side of the room. A gray and black dragon make with darkness and shadows... what a technique...

Demyx was in awe, knowing that that thing was made out of his powers. It was amazing what Zexion could do. But Zexion was weak, and weakening fast... Demyx could tell. He supported Zexion with one arm. By this time, Roxas had awoken and was helping Sora back onto his feet. Kairi was also up, but limping badly. Still, she helped Riku, and they all gathered together behind the dragons, next to Demyx and Zexion.

"We will NEVER give up." Sora said, grinning. "We are strong... because we are fighting for what we believe in. So are you, I know... strength like that doesn't come from just practicing. It comes from pain and sacrifice... love... and friendship. You are a worthy adversary. But... we will win... because there is no other choice!"

Rath was unable to move, thanks to Axel's great grip on both of his arms. Riku, Sora, Roxas, and Kairi surrounded him on all sides. Axel jumped up – out of the way, to let them attack, and threw his chakram down at Rath from the sky before landing just outside the circle of fighters – carefully watching for any escape attempts from Rath.

Zexion finally stopped chanting. "GET BACK!" he shouted, grinning. "Now, it's time to show you that these guys aren't just a pretty decoration. I will show you just what the twin dragons are capable of!" He raised his hands, and the dragons jumped into action. Everyone managed to jump back just in time, before the dragons came crashing down on Rath.

A black and blue circle appeared around him. "You are in the range of our secret technique." Zexion said calmly, stepping into the circle and motioning for Demyx to follow him in. "Twin dragons of rage! World of torment!" Demyx shivered. He knew the extent that Zexion could go to, when messing with someone's mind. World of Torment didn't sound like a pleasant technique.

The black dragon jumped into the air and came back down, seeming to swallow Rath whole. Zexion closed his eyes and he almost seemed to disappear from the room.

Rath was in a chamber – it was the chamber beyond the Door to Twilight. His eyes snapped up, and he saw a figure, dressed in a black cloak, approach him. "People cannot change. Destiny is forever binding. We are trapped in this endless spiral. No escape... no way out... You are doomed. Your destiny is chosen... I can see... Your fate... is death."

It felt like he was spinning. Rath could feel his inner walls crumbling in fear. The words went straight through him and attacked him at the source of his nerve, causing him to shake... he could barely move. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the circle. He attempted to stumble out of the circle, but Zexion stopped him.

"I hope you're not afraid of drowning..." he said, grinning wickedly. Now it was Demyx's turn. The water dragon began spinning around Rath at amazing speeds. Suddenly, Rath was lost in a whirlpool of water and he couldn't breathe. Both Zexion and Demyx knew it was an attack on his psychosis, but to him, it was both physical and mental, because he couldn't tell the difference.

When the dragon stopped, Rath was revealed once more – a heap on the floor. He was shaking violently. And were those tears? Or was it a nervous sweat? It was impossible to tell. The dragons disappeared and Zexion feinted from his exertion of his power. Demyx caught him and took him out of the circle, just as it began to fade away.

Sora got the honors of putting Rath out of his misery. "Rest in peace, Rath..." he said, releasing him from this world with a nice strong blow to the head... "You were not a bad person... really... we know that. Now you won't have to be troubled anymore by the things they showed you... you won't have to watch the people you love die..."

"And one day, when you're older... you'll be able to see them all again, when they join you. Who knows when... but you have forever... a forever in a much better place. So waiting a few years won't be so hard. You won't be alone..." Kairi added, closing his eyes. A few tears leaked from her eyes, but Sora comforted her, knowing that what she said was true.

Zexion woke up in a warm place, and he wondered if he too, had died. But upon moving, he found himself practically tackled, and knew exactly where he was. There was only one person who would do that to him. He could even hear him shout, "ZEXY!" He didn't even have the strength or the will to tell him to knock that off. Instead, he drifted off again.

Sora ran to the Secret Chamber to untie the others, while Riku and Kairi went to spy for Roxis, in case she would decide to return now. Axel and Roxas could only watch and wait.

Donald and Goofy were a little beat up from resisting Ino, Roxis, and Rath, but the King and Queen were unharmed, and Donald and Goofy would be just fine. Two of the members of System X were gone. And from the looks of it, there were only three left. If Roxis was the lowest, and she was Five... and Four and Three had been taken care of...

That would leave Roxis and her two superiors... it seemed like things were going well. But how long could it last? They still had Roxis to deal with... and who knew how strong One and Two were? Besides... Roxis said to start the plan... what was 'the plan'? None of them had the slightest clue yet of what System X was up to...

It was going to have to be a fast paced fight... a race to the finish... a race for the answers... a race... either to save... or destroy... the world as they knew it...

Yay! Another chapter done!

COMING UP NEXT:

Chapter Thirteen: Proof of My Existence

That thing... the orb... it looks familiar

It should... it belongs to you...

You stole it! The proof of my Existence!

The proof... that you were the only member of Organization 13, who didn't fade back into darkness... who wasn't defeated... wasn't killed...

I was betrayed... but I won't be fooled... you are the one who is wrong!

Thank you to all my reviewers. I hope to have some more before I write my next chapter. Hope you are enjoying the story and the food left in the review lounge. So, please leave a review and take a rainbow sprinkle cupcake on your way out!

Christine Lennoire


	14. Ch13: The Proof of My Existence

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Thirteen: Proof of My Existence

Roxis sensed something troubling and quickly appeared before the group of heroes. Looking around, she saw the proof of the ugly battle that had just taken place. But instead of seeming sad, she smirked and giggled a little. "It seems like Ino and Rath were in over their heads, huh? Well that's okay... you all look trashed... and I'm still doing just fine. Well? If you've got anything left, give it all to me! Because I will not lose! Not now! Not ever again!" Her daggers – and the strange orb appeared at her side.

Zexion's eyes widened. "That... that orb! Blue... but it will turn red when we defeat you... won't it?" he asked, staring her down. Roxis laughed and nodded emotionlessly, motioning to the small blue orb floating to her left. "I knew it... that thing is... that is the proof of my existence! You stole that from me! Give it back!" Roxis shook her head and grabbed the orb, before Zexion could make a mad dash for it. "Give. It. BACK!" he shouted, lashing out at her. But she easily dodged it, and he fell onto his face.

The others ran to his side quickly, ready to help him back up. "That's right, little boy!" Roxis said, stroking the orb lovingly. "This is the proof of your existence... the only proof... that you were the only member of Organization who didn't fade back into darkness... who wasn't defeated... who wasn't killed... not by the wielder of the keyblade... not by anyone. But how did you survive? I always wanted to know... you were betrayed, weren't you? It wasn't Sora you needed to worry about... it was the Organization itself that tried to get rid of YOU!"

Zexion trembled. "Yes... you're right. At that time, when we were all in Castle Oblivion, the Organization was turning on itself. Vexen, Luxaeus, and myself... Marluxia and Larxene... and then... Axel... who worked alone. We were all divided. Vexen, Luxaeus and I couldn't stand Marluxia with his power... power that he didn't deserve. Larxene and Marluxia were trying to turn against the organization by using Namine... and Axel... played us all to suit him, with nothing better to do..."

Axel shifted uncomfortably under Roxas' curious stare. He never knew that Zexion survived. Sure, he did turn the Riku replica on him, but... it had been a long time since then, and he never imagined feeling kind of sorry about it. "Yes... I was betrayed... but he betrayed a bad thing... none of us were right..." Zexion said, sighing. "We were doing something terribly wrong. Even if it wasn't what we wanted, it is what we did, and I deserved what punishment I received." he said, stepping forward.

"I was betrayed... but I won't be fooled. We were wrong then... now, it is you who is wrong! We shall destroy you and there is the proof!" There was a small crack in the orb from the fight earlier. It was only a thin red line, but it was slowly getting larger. "And when it is completely red... then you will be gone... forever... no longer existing." Zexion said, slowly inching towards her. He knew she created it from his, but it was no longer attached to him... it was her blood that it was bound to now...

Slowly, she backed away, but she was shaky. "No! Never!" She shouted, grabbing her daggers. "I will destroy you, and live on to see the goals of our beautiful System X come to a complete finish. And there is nothing you can do to stop me now!" She began fighting, but it was only half heartedly. She was deeply troubled, and it was evident in her fighting style. Donald healed the wounded and the healed went straight for Roxis' weak spots.

Even King Mickey found with them. Kairi protected the Queen and Sora and Riku led the attack against Roxis. Axel and Roxas blocked both exits – leaving her completely cornered and alone. Demyx and Zexion used what was left of their magic from further back. It wasn't long before she was outsmarted and exhausted. She tried to get away, but she was too weak to teleport, and she couldn't stand still long enough to call a portal, with Riku and Sora attacking her constantly.

Tired, she fell back – weak and defeated. When she fell, a letter fell from her pocket. Unable to stand anymore, the orb fell from the sky – unable to float... and shattered into a million pieces on the ground. Roxis watched with growing horror, as the blue mist turned into a fiery red haze in each piece that touched the ground. "NO!" She shouted, reaching out for it in vain. Roxis could feel herself disappearing... she was done for, and too weak to try and fight it...

"How could you? You're just a bunch of stupid kids!" She shouted, tears forming in her eyes. "You will never beat X! Oror will NEVER let you! You can't win! The world will be DESTROYED! We will SAVE you! Even now... we know of an ending that is coming... a much more painful ending... so we shall save this world by taking it and destroying it before pain and suffering completely overtakes it and ruins every happiness left in it!" she shouted before fading away into nothing.

Zexion kneeled next to the broken pieces on the floor. "She really believed in this thing... how can a piece of glass be a proof of existence? The only way to prove you exist, is by believing it and doing something with the life you have, even when it seems there is nothing worth fighting for... even when you think you have nothing... that is the proof of my existence. The way I have grown... the things I have done... the impression I leave behind. When I was about to die... I realized that the proofs meant nothing..."

Demyx grinned. "Right! The proofs are all gone, but... look at us! We're still here, and trying to make a difference. That means more than that stupid stone could. Yet, at the same time, it gave us hope in a way we never believed. Maybe it was good... just not the proof we needed. It gave us the strength we needed to find the real proof of our existences." Zexion nodded, picking up the letter and standing up.

"This will tell us where to find the last two members... Let's see..."

_If you have this – Roxis is dead, and mentioning her is a waste of my time. What fools – if you do indeed seek me out, to change your fate – search in the world you nobodies claim to be home. We're not waiting on you. If you don't hurry, we'll come find you. Our plan will not be foiled. You have rid us of the weaklings, but I assure you, I am nothing like them. Oror and I await your arrival. If you prove to be formidable, we may actually teach you a thing or two before we all die..._

_Deepest regards_

_X_

"What the...?" Roxas scrunched his forehead. "So they really are planning on killing everybody... even themselves! These guys are completely nuts in the head if they think they can save themselves by accepting death..." Axel sighed.

"That's one way to escape your problems, but... a pretty poor, and cowardly way to do it. Still... they really are serious. We should probably hurry and go to them... We might still have a chance to surprise them or catch them off guard if they don't come after us first." Axel said. "Besides... this fight is on our territory, so they are at a disadvantage against Demyx, Zexion, Roxas, and I..."

Sora nodded. "Axel is right. We should hurry. We don't have any idea what they'll do. Stay alert, everyone. Especially you, Zexion... you too, Roxas. The three of us are in the greatest danger since they need us to pull of their great plan... or at least that's what we were told. We should stay as far away as possible." Roxas and Zexion nodded in agreement.

King Mickey smiled. "I was never worried for a second! I knew you guys could piece it together! Now – let's go stop System X, and show them what fate they can't escape!"

Yay! Yet another chapter done, and I'm getting closer to the ending!

COMING UP NEXT:

Chapter Fourteen: Angel of Death, Master of Shadows

That woman has wings... black... wings...

She is the devil, alright, and that guy is her dark knight.

He manipulates shadows like some dark prince of the damned.

Damned is right... what can we do against such strong opponents?

We just have to keep fighting... we've come so far, so we can't just give up now

This is the end... somebody's going to die...

I never imagined it ending this way...

The end of the world...

A world that no one truly believed existed until someone threatened to take it out of existance

Return to The World That Never Was...

Thank you to all my reviewers. I hope to have some more before I write my next chapter. Hope you are enjoying the story and the food left in the review lounge. So, please leave a review and take your pick from coffee cake, butterscotch krimpets, or any of the various flavors of ice cream while reviewing!

Christine Lennoire


	15. Ch14: Return to the World That Never Was

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Fourteen: Return to the World That Never Was!

Sora gasped. What he saw was so NOT what he remembered. The World That Never Was... was disappearing! Together, their group stood in the middle of a path that was slowly disintegrating. Particles floated off into space and disappeared. Most of the buildings were either gone – or ready to go. All that remained in tact, was the castle they could see looming in the distance. "This is bad... what is the System DOING?" Sora shouted, looking around. Kairi grimaced as she head a small crack.

"We better get going before this piece breaks off and takes us with it!" Kairi said nervously, watching the particles that were drifting off into space. "Who knows what would happen to us then!" she shuddered. Whatever it was, would probably be very slow and painful. The others nodded in agreement, all having differing thoughts on what would happen, but not liking any of the possibilities.

Riku suddenly snapped out of whatever daze he was in and shouted, "Look!" Indeed... something was flying over the castle. There was a strange feeling since they got there. And now they knew why. Even from so far away, they could feel it's eyes locked on them. It was like this creature was staring right into their souls – and it was unnerving. "What is it? It's so far away... I can't make it out..."

For a moment, silence reigned. They all squinted, attempting to get a real glimpse of whatever it was. Finally, Zexion spoke up. "That scent is familiar. She's the one... the one who kidnapped us. The 'doctor' one is close too... the one who removed their hearts..." he said, motioning to Axel and Demyx. Sora, Riku and Kairi exchanged nervous glances and nodded. "She has black wings... she's like the devil... no better way to describe her. Be careful. From now on, we are in the range of the two most powerful members of System X..."

"But we have one advantage!" Demyx grinned. "Nobody knows the World That Never Was like the nobodies!" he laughed. "This is our turf, even if it is disappearing." That was a point. "Can't we use the... thing... to get into the castle?" he asked, wary of the eyes he felt, watching his every move. Zexion's eyes widened and he began grinning in a similar manner.

He nodded. "Of course! Let's go! Just follow me and don't ask questions... she might be able to hear us." Zexion led them down the remains of a small alley. "I hope it's still here..." he muttered under his breath. Now, they were hidden by the remains of a building – but it was disappearing and fast. Demyx quickly uncovered a hole. There was a nice drop and then it seemed to go straight.

"All the Superior's idea." Demyx said, smirking. One by one they jumped down as quietly as possible into the damp tunnel. After they were all down, they began walking towards the castle. It seemed like forever, and it was a very plain tunnel – no real twists or turns or anything. So they were all glad when they saw a ladder leading upwards. "This is our stop." For the first time, the others noticed that there was another path that branched off and kept going.

Goofy grinned. "Where's that go?" he asked, looking at it as he was climbing up the ladder and almost missing a step and falling. Luckily, he was able to balance himself and get back up. Zexion shook his head.

"That could be important later. For now, it's best kept a secret. Not even Demyx knows... it's something the original six kept locked up tight. It was... our back-up plan... and it is now, too, so let's hope you never have to find out. Because if you do, it's because we're in deep, deep, DEEP trouble." he said forebodingly, effectively scaring the others out of pushing the matter further.

At the top, Sora pushed the lid off and they all quietly climbed up into the room. It was not like the rest of the castle – or maybe the System had done some redecorating – because instead of the room being white – it was completely black. Demyx and Zexion gasped. This was not right... that meant... that System X had found this room and therefore that meant...

"Ah, do you like it? I thought it was too bright in here. Especially for such a truly grim place." Everyone turned very slowly. This woman was just like the others in one aspect. Same cloak, but longer like the Organization's robes. But that was about the only thing. Her wings... were black as night and ten times as wide as her own body. Her eyes were red like blood, and her smile was truly wicked – as if there wasn't a drop of good in the world that was inside of her body. Maybe there wasn't.

She wasn't alone, either. A man stood at her side, wearing a white lab coat over the traditional cloak that the others wore, although he looked much more human like. His hair was black with blonde tips, but that was the strangest thing about him. From just looking at him, it didn't seem like he had a weapon. But then again neither did she. Yet – appearances are deceiving. They weren't about to underestimate evil-looking people like them. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I startle you? Name's Xeo, but... you can call me X..."

Everyone shuddered. She... was number 1. "Number 2. Xu." The man at her side said, formal – just like the others. Removing the lab coat, it was revealed that his cloak only had one sleeve. The other seemed to have been cut off, but he kept his arm wrapped up with white medical wrap. These two were just plain odd. "Let's get down to it then. No playing. We know what you want. But we can't have you doing that. So I'll just kill you and end this all now – for all our sakes." he said, stepping forward.

His eyes were burgundy – slightly darker than hers but nearly the same shade. Actually – they had changed. Something so odd would have been easy to spot. But clearly, his eyes changed colors. Appearances can be deceiving. It seemed as if now he was just as strange as she was.

"Sorry. Maybe if things had been different – you could have been saved – maybe even been one of us. It's funny how fate works, ain't it? But now I have to kill you. Then, we can save this world... destroy it for the rebuilding!"

Zexion growled. "This is not a GAME! There is only one universe! It can not be rebuilt if you destroy all the worlds! What we have is what we have and if you destroy it, there will be nothing left! Is that what you want! There will be no us, no System X... no NOTHING!"

Xu laughed. "Of course it can be rebuilt. My darling X and I will become legacies... become immortal... and then we shall right this world and all the others. All their imperfections shall cease to be... until all worlds really are... perfect."

"You're crazy." Sora said. "There's no such thing as immortality. That's why we have to enjoy life to the fullest while we have it. Waste it, and you can never get it back. We're going to stop you, you know... there's no use fighting. We have no choice but to stop you. We will NOT be defeated." All the others shouted "Yeah!" in response. Riled up and ready for a fight, everyone grabbed their weapons and prepared for battle.

"So be it." Xu said angrily. He reached over with his good hand and began undoing the wrap the covered his arm...

COMING UP NEXT:

Chapter Fifteen: Master of Shadows, Angel of Death

They're a terrible pair

That woman and he protective lover

She has the appearance of a devil

And he is the master of shadows, and a demon surgeon...

What can we do?

Good thing we have a back-up plan!

We're coming up on the exciting ending! Soon... but anyway... review please! Reviews give me a reason to update sooner and not procrastinate like I usually do, if you read any of my other stories... P

Christine Lennoire


	16. Ch15: Angel of Death, Master of Shadows

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Fifteen: Master of Shadows, Angel of Death

Xu began to unwrap the medical wrap on his arm slowly. Everyone watched in awe as he unwound it: spiral by spiral. After a few turns, a black mark came into view. Further and further – until they could make out the shape of the entire tattoo-like marking. It was a demonized figure of an angel, with a bird and a snake – one on either side of the dark angel. "We are her guardians... the Angel of Death has asked you... to die!" Xu took a dangerous fighting stance and lunged at the group, who was immediately thrown off guard.

Their shadows began to grow and change behind them. Everyone slowly began to panic, as they watched their shadows jump to attack them. Roxas, Zexion, Axel, and Demyx tried to fight back together. However, the shadows dodged each attack easily. Unguarded, Xu attacked them from behind while manipulating the shadows to capture them.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi, upon seeing their friends being captured, attacked the shadows until the others were free and they all turned their attention to Xu. Together, they were able to push him back, but he was strong and held up. Either way, they were vulnerable to his shadows' attacks. For a while, it just went back and forth – no one budging an inch, though Sora and the others were taking quite a beating... and the 'Angel of Death' had not even moved yet to help him... who knew what would happen if she fought along side him.

"You do not know what we have seen. If you did... perhaps you would agree to stop this silly fight." X said, smirking. "The pain that will come is far more than will come from the ending of the worlds. Can you imagine how hard it is for us to see... to know... what will happen... who will die... when, and how... long before it happens. If I do not stop this now... we will all suffer."

Riku sighed. "Everyone's gonna die someday. You said it yourself... you know long before it happens. So why are you worrying about it now? Instead, you should focus on what you have and the time that's left, instead of looking so far into the future. You will miss out on all that life has to offer." Sora and the others nodded in agreement. Zexion stepped forward.

"Destiny... fate... I do not believe in these things. Fate said that we... the nobodies... were destined to fade back into darkness. But I want to believe that strength and perseverance can change anything that life his in store. I don't want my life to be pre-determined. I want to have a say... I want to live my life my way for once. So I don't want to hear it... I'm going to fight it... for a chance at a future! The future that Xemnas said didn't belong to me. I will not run away! Not any more..."

Demyx grinned and nodded. "That's right!"

X smiled and stepped forward. "Nobel words from someone who doesn't exist. You deserve much... at the least, a quick death." She raised both hands and slowly began chanting, steadily becoming louder and going faster. "I am the master of shadows, I am the bringer of light... I am the giver of life, I am the bringer of death... I am immersed in the twilight, I walk in the wake of the dusk... I am the angel of death." She repeated this about three times, as a large orb of bright energy began forming in her hands that were outstretched in front of her.

In times like these, those who panic, have their greatest ideas...

"RUN!" Sora shouted. All the others followed behind. Soon they found themselves back down in the tunnels. Zexion ran ahead of them all and motioned for them to follow behind.

Zexion closed his eyes and began to prepare. "Nihil ecce dormat somnibus omnis demen tix iiya." he chanted. A crack in the floor appeared and began to glow a bright blue color. "Nihil demen. Nihil demen. Nihil demen iiya." he repeated louder. Demyx began to shake. Zexion's eyes turned black. This was indeed the point of no return. It had never been attempted before... No one knew if it would work. But right now, it was their only hope.

Xemnas had set this up when the Organization was first founded. The ritual was difficult, so the original six were the only ones who were ever informed of the secret. Now it was up to him. Finally, the tunnel came to an end... a dead end. The only thing in the area, was a small podium and an orb that was glowing blue, just like the line on the ground. "I am the sixth. Manipulator of minds... master of darkness... I am Zexion. Nihil demen. Nihil demen. Nihil demen iiya." There was a click, and a blinding light burst forth.

The blackness began to bleed from Zexion's eyes, and marks appeared over his body. "I paid the price for this power... Let me fight... Let me win... When I fight for what I believe in." he chanted some more. Zexion stepped back so that he was distanced from the others. "Goodbye." This one was not a chant... This was for real. The floor dropped out underneath the others, and they were taken away, as Zexion turned to face the path back to X and Xu.

"Give me strength to protect the world... and the people... I love."

COMING UP NEXT:

Chapter Sixteen: Guard Me, Guide Me, Save Me

He can't do it alone!

But how can we...

The airship still works!

If we don't do something, he's going to die!

Please... help...

This world is not for you to destroy! This is not a game!

I'm done for...

Yeah... that took forever. I'm having a little trouble. But it will get better. Please review! Thanks and I hope you enjoyed it, even though it was forced... it was short and not so very exciting so that the ending can be all that much better! Yeah... let's go with that. REVIEW! Thank you!

Christine Lennoire


	17. Ch16: Guard Me, Guide Me, Save Me

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Sixteen: Guard Me, Guide Me, Save Me

Xeo laughed upon looking at Zexion who returned alone. "Trying to be brave, little boy? There is no use. We have already won. Your friends... the ones you tried to save... have been captured." Zexion's eyes widened. How was it possible? Had the System found their little passage? How could they have known about the secret place? There were only even six people who knew about it, and they wouldn't...

"You insult us. We are creatures of the twilight. From our world, we can see all, and we know everything. And that is the problem. These worlds are doomed for the worst. System X is the one trying to do some good. You are the ones who would have the people suffer more. What monsters... I just want everyone to be out of their misery. That way... we can rebuild, and make way for better things..."

Zexion growled angrily. He tried so hard, but it had all been in vain. His friends were trapped... who knew what was happening to them now. And what could he do? The chances of him being able to stop these two on his own was very small. Hope seemed to dwindle and disappear before his eyes. Then, he remembered something he heard Sora say... "Your heart is your strongest weapon..."

He began chanting again. "My heart is my mind, my mind is my soul. My body is in my soul. My life is in my heart. I can fight the dark. I can beat the twilight. You cannot know everything. My feelings... my emotions... my life... my thoughts... they are my own!" he stopped chanting. "The power grew stronger and for a moment, he couldn't even move. When his strength returned, it came back two-fold.

Xu and Xeo watched him with interest. But they remained ignorant, not moving beyond amused, when they should have been concerned. "Is that so? Maybe it's time you learn what your power can do... first hand. For many years, you have manipulated people's minds to hurt them... maybe it's time that you feel the pain it brings first-hand!" she raised her hands slowly and his vision began to cloud.

'It's just a vision...'

Looking at himself, he was younger... it was the day he first came to meet the other members of the Organization on the other side... the day the original six formed Organization XIII... the worst day of his life...

The others laughed and scoffed at him. Originally, it was going to be just the five of them. They refused to let him join because he didn't want to fight. Xemnas just laughed when he said that he could be of use to them. Tears welled up, even if he shouldn't be feeling it. That day, Xaldin had been the one to defend him and tell the others to give him a chance...

But this was not the world that he remembered...

"He would just be a nuisance and get in the way. Our goal is a great one, and we can't be willing to trust something so important into the hands of a fight-less child!" Xemnas jeered at him. Xaldin and the others laughed out loud, not hiding an ounce of their amusement. Xaldin kicked him around and no one helped him up. Try as he might, he could no longer tell himself that it was just an illusion...

All he could hear were the words of the others. But something broke through...

_Guard me... "_You were trying to find someone who wouldn't call you weak." Zexion blinked. "We are... very alike..."

_Guide me... _"You are not alone... You are not weak. We can win this. Just be strong. You're a lot stronger than you realize. After all the times they kicked us down... you should be... Zexion... you helped me when I couldn't find the strength. Now we are here to help you..."

Each and every one of them were there. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Axel, Demyx, Donald, Goofy, the King... and the Organization. They were all within him, trying to help him fight back. It shouldn't have been possible... but Zexion was used to the odd.

_Save me..._

I'm ready...

He felt the darkness begin to seep out of him, even in his unconscious state. But it wasn't after Xeo or Xu... it seeped through the door behind them and released the lock... releasing the others who all came rushing out at the unsuspecting Angel of Death and her lover. Zexion smirked and forced himself awake.

_Thank you... I no longer need to fight alone. We need to live for the moments that we have..._

"Are you ready, Xeo? Because now you are going to see our TRUE power." he said, rushing over to the others. "This world is not for you to destroy! This is not a GAME!" he shouted.

Xeo and Xu stared in awe. "But how? We weren't aware that this guy could even FIGHT! And now he can fight with the power of darkness and light? He even fought off my dark illusion..." Xeo grinned. "Alright. I can handle a real fight. Bring it on, weaklings. Xu... you may fight them first." Xu grinned wickedly and reached out with his tattooed hand.

"It would be my greatest pleasure..."

COMING UP NEXT:

Chapter Seventeen: The Bloody Demon Surgeon, Xu

He fights like a demon!

What is with the tattoo on his arm?

Is he fighting for the same thing she is fighting for... or is it just for her?

This won't be easy...

But it's all coming to a close...

Okay, that was fast. But it's almost over, and it's getting interesting. Hope you like it. Thanks to my reviewers. Love you all, and hope to hear from you all once more before this is over. New people... please review, too! I want to know how I'm doing.

Christine Lennoire


	18. Ch17: The Bloody Demon Surgeon: Xu

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... ****_smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... ****_We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Seventeen: The Bloody Demon Surgeon, Xu

"It would be my pleasure, my darling." Xu grinned, putting his arm, and therefore his tattoo, out in front of him. The black ink began to ripple, and the area around them changed into a dark arena. "Be prepared for a great fight, misfits. Here and now, I will get rd of you forever." he said. Sora took the initiative... Sora bravely stepped forward, shielding the others. But everyone else was fighting for a reason too, and weren't about ready to let him have all the fun. Riku and Kairi ran up next to him and smiled.

_You don't have to fight alone anymore... never again._

Sora smiled and nodded. "Yeah... Xu, you are at a disadvantage. You may have her, but... I have all my friends. Together, I know we cannot lose. We've been fighting so long. First it was Maleficent and the heartless... then it was the Organization and the Dusks... now you and your eternals. Well, the adventures are nice, but I think I'm done fighting. I found everything that I was looking for. After this, I won't have a reason to fight anymore." Sora said. "I saved my island, rescued Kairi, found Riku, and stopped the heartless. Isn't that enough?"

Xu laughed. "I will fight forever... for my queen... my love. That is and always will be my one and only purpose: To protect the one person I love more than life itself." he said, taking a step forward. Everyone's eyes widened in realization. Zexion smirked, taking three steps forward, until he was directly in front of Xu, no more than a step in front of him.

"So that is your one and only purpose? You fight only for love... What a shame. You would destroy this world for someone who will also die when this world is destroyed?' Xu faltered, but refused to give in. "You don't know what you're doing. You are stepping blindly into the dark, with only her telling you that what you are doing is right. And you just believe her... because you love her?" Zexion said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Demyx growled. "She's USING YOU! Don't you have any thoughts for yourself?" Demyx shouted. "All the time, she has been able to drag you along like some puppet, and you became her massive weapon of destruction. But do you have any indication that you mean anything more to her than that? Do you know that you are not just some tool for her to use and throw away? No! And yet you would follow her to the end of the world, just because you want to believe that you will be her love forever. Love doesn't work that way, buddy! It never will!"

"SHE LOVES ME!" Xu shouted. "How dare you say she doesn't! You don't know anything about us or our love. All you know is that if you get me to falter, than you can win. But I am not fooled. I live on belief. I do not need to hear her say it." he said dignantly, pushing Zexion away from him proudly. "And you... shall be the loser." he said, raising his tattooed hand.

_We were young when we first met. Death did not bring us together. It was our special gift – the gift of Sight. Both of us were being torn apart by the things we saw, of the world and it's future. So together, we planned to set things right. Everything we planned out was perfect: the princes, the doors, Sora... EVERYTHING. And then, when we tried to put it together, somehow, it was not perfect. How did our perfect plans go wrong? What influenced our plans so much. No one person could..._

_These are my memories... aren't they?_

_I can't see them... I just know. And at the same time... I see... a past. But it doesn't match up. Am I losing sight of my love? Why has her image faded from my memories? Better yet... why were they never there in the first place? Is it true that she implanted these memories upon me to change me to her side? Is it true that I never met her in such a love-struck mannor? Does it matter now? No. Not as long as I can hear her say it... I want to hear her say she loves me. Then, I will fight, regardless of the truth._

_What is truth, anyway? We are fighting to save the future... right? Or is she really trying to destroy it? And if she does... does it mean I will never see her again? Suddenly I am so confused. Must I have all these thoughts now? No, and I want to stop, but... I can't. Reality is finally pulling me in..._

"I can't pretend anymore. X... do you love me? Just tell me the truth, and I can continue on. Until you do... I am afraid I cannot." X looked completely stunned. "I see... I was never meant to remember. I was always the 'Bloody Demon Surgeon', known throughout all the worlds. Someone must have told you about me, and you decided I would make the perfect weapon. Someone such as me would be able to hack them down without a care... right?" he said, nervously awaiting her answer. X slowly began to grin.

X was strange looking, and when she grinned, she looked plain mad! "That's right. I never would have guessed that you would start to remember. But it seems that these... kids... were able to force you to accept the truth. Still... can you turn around now and change sides on me? You don't have the guts! All this time, you have depended on me to stand beside you, so you wouldn't have to face the truth that your memories were all implanted by me, to make you my willing slave for all time. It was a perfect plan, you know..."

His head fell. "But things don't always work out the way you plan...

_I was known for miles around, as the greatest demon surgeon ever. My skills were rare and powerful, and everyone came to me for all their needs. And it made me feel important. Back then, I did have a love... her name... was Isis. And she asked me to help heal her heart that was injured in battle. I agreed, because I wanted to help, and... I wanted to show her just how good I was. But something went wrong._

_Her blood was on my hands..._

_From then on, I was called 'The Bloody Demon Surgeon'. And I could never get rid of the pain, or forget how her blood tainted my hands. Still, I had plenty of business. No one seemed to be scared away by my mistake, and I always wondered why._

_Until now, I hadn't the slightest clue. But it's shortly after those memories, that the implanted ones began to appear. Isis... had been in the way of X's plan, and as perfectly as she knew how, she got rid of everything in her way. Now I know. I never questioned X, because I linked her to Isis, who I wished was still with me now. My belief caused me serious damage... but no more. I am done with this scharade._

"X... I will kill you for what you have done..."

_I am only Xu now... that's all that matters..._

COMING UP NEXT:

Chapter Eighteen: X's Confession: The True Story!

Now we're finally gonna find out what's really going on!

No more lies!

Xu is on our side!

The final battle isn't far off now...

Zexion's... SICK!

Okay, that was fast... NOT! Sorry it's been so long But it's almost over, and it's getting interesting. Hope you like it. Thanks to my reviewers. Love you all, and hope to hear from you all once more before this is over. New people... please review, too! I want to know how I'm doing.

Christine Lennoire


	19. Ch18: X's Confession! The True Story!

Kingdom Hearts: System X

By Christine Lennoire

Beta: Bakageta

Summery: "Nobodies that heartless.." and no, I didn't make a grammar error. _Hearts are corrupted. _**Heartless nobodies? **_Who in the hell is System X?_ **It's from the King... **_But Ansem... _Roxas..._ Sora..._ But he's my friend! _Kingdom Hearts... _Keyblade.** They're... _smart! _**They came after me... _It's him... _**They're working together... _We have to do something..._**

_**a new journey has begun**_

Chapter Eighteen: X's Confession: The True Story!

"How disappointing. I thought you would make a wonderful tool. Alas, you turn against me... ME! The one who gave you strength and life out of the nothing-ness that remained. You ungrateful leech. I will make you all pay for your ignorance. You want to know the truth, do you? I don't think you do. But if that is what you ask for, then who am I to deny you this information?" she said, airily, flitting around the room carelessly. Her smile was wicked, and her body language was playful, and not very serious, considering it was the end of the world that they were talking about. 'How can she be so careless and carefree? Doesn't she realize what she is doing?' Sora thought angrily.

X tapped Roxas and Axel on the shoulder at the same time. "Light... and dark." Then Zexion and Demyx, too. "Twilight... and dusk. They are connected to each other, you know. I am from the twilight. You, Keyblade Master, have seen the sandy beaches of what lies in darkness... and the light beyond the door to Kingdom Hearts. Well, Twilight is different. From there, you can see everything that is going to happen: present, past, or future. Knowledge is everything there, and there isn't a piece of knowledge I haven't seen."

"Do you know how hard it is to know everything!? Well, let me tell you! Everyone and everything I cared for or loved – would all turn to dust. My love... I turned him away. I figured it wouldn't be so hard if I didn't have to watch it happen. But it wasn't. I became very bitter. So I decided that I would stop this madness: End the world, and start anew, from scratch, right here."

Sora growled. "But it's not about the future! It's about living for what we have! Since I was a little kid, I knew that I was going to die. At the same time, I'm not going to rush to my death and miss all the opportunities to live. Perhaps it is the cruelest sin of all: to give us something wonderful and take it away again in the next instant. But I want to make the most of what I was given and not die only to realize all the things I could have done. That only leads to regret. And I promised myself two years ago that I wouldn't have any more regrets."

X laughed. "It's too late! You cannot save your world now. Already in motion are the wheels that will destroy everything. I distracted you, in need of time. So I threatened the people you hold closest. You protected them, but I don't need their hearts… I need them. Their powers are what opens the doors. And you brought them all directly to me. So in the end, I got everything that I wanted and more. Now I will open the four doors and summon Chaos to destroy everything. Only then can every human be saved from torment!"

"And if you try to destroy me… I can just suck your powers straight away and then I win. You can't beat me. It's part of my omnipotent existence. I know you are going to lose. I have seen it with my own eyes. Prepare for your death." She said, crossing her arms and smirking. Riku jumped forward and protected Sora. His eyes gleamed in a way they hadn't since they had been little – spending all their time growing up on the beach. Such fond memories, and the last time he had been happy like that had been years ago.

Riku was ready to end this, once and for all. "We went through hell to save the world many times. From that, I learned that only one thing is certain. You can change the future, with determination. A long time ago, I was told that I belonged to the darkness, and I did. But I was able to come back and change everything that I had been told. So we can change the future of the world, too. We're not as weak as you think we are. So I hope you're ready."

Kairi put a hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him sweetly, and also took a fighting stance. "I'm not a fighter. But there are some things that are truly worth fighting for. I am fighting for my friends, so that they can live out the rest of their lives happily. All these years we could have spent together. I just want things to go back to the way they were before. We were happy back then, and I don't mind dying, if only I don't die with regrets… like never getting to tell the guy you like that you've had a crush on him since you were six years old…" she blushed.

"I can't die until I tell him…" she said, twirling her Keyblade in a deadly circle. Sora blinked and laughed.

Sora stood next to them and smiled. "As the Keyblade Master, I have fought for many things. My friends have been a huge part. But this is the first time that I have been able to fight beside them. So I don't know about you guys, but I don't want this to be the end." Roxas, Axel, Demyx, and Zexion also joined them up front.

"I'm fighting for a dear friend…" Roxas said. "For his heart…"

Zexion smiled. "I'm fighting to break the cycle of meaningless ideals."

"I'm fighting to make myself better and stronger." Demyx grinned.

"We all have our reasons… do you feel like your reason is so justified now?" Sora said, glaring at X accusingly. She slowly backed up, with tears in her eyes.

"I used to be pure of heart like you. But my time in the Twilight made me crazy. I would give anything to go back to those days… Xu, I'm sorry. But I just can't go back anymore. You understand… I have to see this out to the end as my decision. That's part of taking responsibility for my reactions. Now, whoever is right, will win. Either way, fate will decide who is just and who deserves to die." She said, raising her arms, and putting up a silver barrier to trap them inside and stop them from running away.

A long and dangerous fight ensued. Her power was one of insight, so she was able to easily dodge and strategize. But she wasn't prepared for Sora's technique. Sora doesn't think. He is wild and unpredictable, and in the end, it came down to a quick blow from him that sent her down on her knees, crying with fear and regret. "I'm sorry." She muttered, fading off into the darkness.

"The truth is… she wasn't a bad person. It just goes to show what the danger of knowledge is. Knowing too much can often drive you crazy. I wonder if that's what happened to all those great philosophers?" Kairi sighed.

On the shelf behind her were two hearts. Upon releasing them, they returned to their respective owners. Axel blinked twice, noticing an intense difference around him. "Woah. I guess I forgot what it feels like." He added sheepishly.

Roxas just laughed, crying for joy, as he hugged Axel close. All around them, her alternate reality was crumbling and returning back to the way it used to be. "I never thought I would see the day…" Zexion smiled. "It feels like home here again." Demyx smiled and laughed, hugging his sitar joyfully.

"I feel inspired." He said, strumming happily.

Sora gulped. "Not yet. We're not home safe yet…"

"Look! It's the Gummi Ship!" Riku shouted, looking through a crack in her reality to see it zooming closer. Everyone cheered and ran for the door. Xu stayed there, sprawled out on the floor.

His tattoo was fading: proof that she was no longer on this plane of existence. "Although I was just a tool… a weapon… I still loved you. I am sorry, but maybe now you can find something great worth fighting for, even in death." He said. "I will join you some day, and then I can apologize for not defending you. Still, never doubt my love." And he stayed in the wreckage, until nothing was left. He was never found again after the destruction of that room…

The Gummi Ship quickly flew them up and out of there. And it took them all to the shores of Destiny Island…

Coming up Next:

The conclusion!

Chapter Nineteen: Forever After

Nothing else to say. Everything will conclude in the next chapter. So now's the time to review! Hope you liked it and will send reviews of love! Thanks. Last chance to get food as thanks from me. Cupcakes for everyone! Because it's almost over! ;;

Christine Lennoire


	20. Epilogue: Worthwhile

Kingdom Hearts: System X

Epilogue: Worthwhile

Sora sat down on the beach with a loud thud as he skidded across the sand. He took of his shoes and let his feet splash freely in the cool ocean water. "It's good to be home." He said, smiling at the bright, warm sunshine. "It's a perfect day, too." From afar, he watched Riku and Kairi playfully fighting over something. Donald and Goofy were messing around in the Gummi Ship. And the members of Organization were there too. Sora snuck away for a peaceful nap. He knew that when he woke up, things would have calmed down. For now, he was just tired.

_I just wanted you to know…_

"What now?" Axel asked. "I was sure we were goners! But… here we are. On the beach no less! We must look pretty stupid, standing here in complete, long black robes." He laughed, poking Roxas in the side. Demyx also laughed and glomped them both happily. A small wrestling match ensued. A match which Axel won pretty easily, considering Demyx wouldn't stop laughing, and Roxas couldn't breathe under both of their weights. "I'm the victor!" he shouted merrily. When he got up, the other two ran after him, shouting curses at him.

_Everything we went through…_

Zexion watched them with an amused look. "How childish…" he smirked, looking at the ocean and walking closer, until the tips of his boots touched the edge of the water. In deep thought, he didn't notice Demyx creeping up behind him. Didn't notice until Demyx laughed and pushed him into the water, that is. Unfortunately for Demyx, he lost his footing and tumbled in too. Zexion scowled, but came face to face with a splash of water from Demyx, who wasn't giving up. Usually, Zexion would never do anything so childish and unruly, but… since Demyx started it anyway…

_It was all worthwhile._

But he was at a big disadvantage, Zexion realized. Demyx's element WAS water. So he could do nothing to avoid the huge wave Demyx made to come crashing over his head with his elemental powers. That didn't stop him from screaming bloody murder as he realized just how cold the water was. And after that, his robe wasn't really protecting him from the water anymore. He flippantly threw his hair back out of his eyes and growled. Normally he refused to fight, because it wasn't his style. But he'd been doing more and more of it lately… and besides… this was WAR.

_Everything we did and saw together made me smile_

_No matter what happens now, I will never forget those feelings…_

_And as long as we stay together as a team,_

_No one can ever hurt us, ever again_

_I believe not in moments or memories_

_But I believe in us_

System X was dead. And with them died the last threat the world would see for a long time. Sora, Kairi, and Riku went back to school and graduated together in a few years. They are still living together on the island to this day, and it's been six long and wonderful years. Kairi had to make a choice, and she made it the day they returned from defeating the eternals. She loved Sora, like a sister loves a brother. Riku had been sure he knew what she was going to say, but boy was he shocked when she said she loved HIM. Life works in strange and mysterious ways, and Sora didn't mind at all… actually, he was glad.

Because he found a girlfriend of his own… Lae stayed with them too. She didn't go to school like they did. Instead, she opened up her own restaurant. With her knowledge of world-wide cuisine (literally!), she was a hit, and everyone loved it!

The nobodies: Axel, Roxas, Zexion, and Demyx, also stayed. Demyx, of course, followed his calling and became a great musician. All his adventures gave him great inspiration for songs. But that wasn't the only thing that inspired him. Zexion, who shortly after became Demyx's lover, went to work as the head scientist at the main branch of the laboratory on Destiny Islands. It was him that would later write the last and final set of Reports. And they were a detailed report of everything that happened with System X.

Axel and Roxas also became lovers, though it took them longer to actually admit it. Roxas works for the library now. Since he realized that he had a heart, he decided that he needed a hobby and was instantly drawn to two things: books and video games. In his spare time, he even writes some of his own works. Most of them are poems and short stories, but he finally started his big book and hopes to finish it within the next year and publish it. Axel is now working at Lae's restaurant. At first, she wanted to make him the oven, but… he didn't like that so much. Now he's the head cook!

_Living for the moment is a dream I've always held_

_Maybe now that I am free, I can open up a little_

_And if I open up, will you help me when I get stuck?_

_You've always been there, saving me_

_What would I do without you?_

_I wanted you to know that your sacrifice is not in vain_

_Everything we've been through was worth it in the end_

_Pain is inevitable, but we've lived through the worst_

_And in the end, it was worthwhile anyway._

_I just wanted you to know_

_Just wanted you to know_

_That I wanted you_

_I wanted you to know_

_That everything you've done_

_All the sacrifices_

_All the love_

_All the hardship_

_Was worthwhile_

_For the happiness we've found_

_Is eternal_

Oh. My. God. It's finished! ALLELUHIA! Amazing isn't it? Sorry it took so long, but now that it's finished, please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for all your support that got me through this. I'm really glad I got to the end. So, review, and have one of my famous chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. Or, mint chocolate chip cookies, because their good too!

Christine Lennoire


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